Released From Fates Games
by Haley95
Summary: Dumbledore and the Weasley family have been using potions to control Harry. Harry gets revenge before he is thrown back in time where he has the been given a second chance at life.
1. Chapter 1

Starting Over

Grimmauld Place, once the pride and joy of the Black family, was on the verge of collapsing when Harry Potter shambled up the steps. Each step threatened to crack under the shoes of the 157-year-old wizard. However, each step surprisingly held under his admittedly frail frame. The potions he had been dosed with for most of his life had hindered his ability to be healthy indefinitely.

Harry took what small satisfaction he still could from the revenge he had dished out to the family who had ensured he never achieved a happy life. It was partly his fault in the beginning. Harry had admittedly been blinded by the new sparkling world laid at his feet, freedom from the Dursley's, and the chance to have friends. However, when that newness wore off and he started to think for himself again, he found his life was spinning out of his control. Harry had blown up the vile thing called Marge Dursley, and began to make plans to run. Dumbledore found him first, however. A couple of spells and a potion later Harry was on the Night Bus headed toward the Leaky Cauldron. Harry, thankfully, was resilient against magic and three years after the war all of the betrayals began to invade his dreams. At first, Harry thought they were nightmares presenting themselves due to the stress of his upcoming marriage to Ginny. After three months though Harry could no longer put the memories off as nightmares.

It took two months and his wedding to Ginny was a week away when he made a decision to visit Gringotts. The conversation he had with the Goblins lasted six hours. When Harry left he was forgiven for his break in, and a weight on his shoulders which would weigh him down for years to come. Harry was essentially addicted to the loyalty, love, and mind blocking potions as he could no longer live without the potions in his system. Knowing this he set it up so that any money Ginny and he retched family took from his vaults without his permission would draw up a fourteen present interest loan that they would have to pay back when he died or he called for the immediate repayment. While he was there he also drank a potion that made him permanently infertile with Ginevra Weasley. Harry had always wanted a family, but the Weasleys had taken that chance away from him. While there he made sure all of his fortunes would be given to the various orphanages in London when he died. The "loans" the Weasley would take out of his vault over the years would be paid back and the interest accumulated would go to the Goblin nation. Furthermore, if the debt and interest wasn't paid within the original "loanees" lifespan the debt would pass to their children and their children's children. If the line happened to end before the debt wasn't paid the debt would fall on the families who married into the Weasley family in this generation and all future generations. This would ensure the Weasley line would end and Harry would get his revenge. Harry just had to wait, and wait he did.

In the end, the potions he was on had dulled all his senses to the point where he could just barely muster some satisfaction the devastation his revenge wreaked. The Weasley family had indeed made many withdraws from his vault over the century. However, when his vault was almost shrunk to a size where he wouldn't even be able to help twenty orphanages if they money continued to be with- drew Harry placed his revenge in motion.

Earlier that day…

All the Weasley's were gathered around the Burrows table where Harry and Ginevra had lived since Margaret Weasley had passed from old age nearly thirty years prior. Harry sat at the head of the table while he listened to the talk around him. His "wife" was gushing over their "children" loudly and slightly slurred to Hermione Weasley. Tapping his glass Harry got everyone's attention. "I have an announcement to make." He dully said while nearly everyone around the table rolled their eyes but stayed silent appeasing him. "As of yesterday the Potter fortune is no more. Ginny and will be having to rely on my ministry pay from this point on." Shocked and angry glances were shot at him until Hermione burst out laughing.

"Don't worry Harry we have simply relocated your fortune to our family's vault. You are getting on in age, and it would make things so much easier when you pass on because your property will have already be divided accordingly amongst our family." Ginny said frostily. Harry felt a brief flash of both anger and satisfaction. He nodded and said happily or as happily as he could fake "Oh thank God, I was worried about how we were going to take care of our children when we no longer had the money to keep the lifestyle they have become accustomed to all these years. Ginny and the rest of the family smirked. Harry mentally smirked and then excused himself to the bathroom. Once in the bathroom he threw on his invisibility cloak and snuck back out to watch the fun after he firmly requested that the money he loaned the Weasley family be repaid in full as of November the second 2,137 at 6:50 pm.

Harry settled himself in a rarely used corner on an ugly table he had gotten for his birthday one year from Dudley. There he had the best view of Ginevra, Hermione, and Ronald. At 7:00 pm on the dot owls carrying a thick envelope of parchment arrived for everyone on the table. Hermione was the first to open and finish her letter. The skank lost all color in her face, then turned very red, before turning green, and finally went white once more before fainting.

That prompted everyone to open and read their letters and or grab her fallen letter to read what had caused the such a strong reaction. In the end, everyone at the table was in shock. Disappointing, really, as he had hoped to see them break down crying or begin raving once the realized the truth of their situation. Then Ginevra clutched her chest and began to turn purple. Her children began to scream and cry trying to save their mother. Harry happily watched Ginevra die and then the shock break into anguish. He wished dearly that he could muster up more than just satisfaction watching his revenge take place.

However, he would be grateful for the satisfaction he could feel. Knowing if he stayed any longer he would be caught and punished by the family for ruining their lives so he used the commotion to slip away. With a crack, he disapparated to the street out front of Grimmauld Place.

Now…

Harry made his way through the house making note of floor cave ins as he made his way up stairs. Trudging up the stairs blindly was a dangerous pastime and after almost falling through three different stairs Harry lit his wand. Soon he was in front of the master suite where once upon a time he had agonized over the possibility that Voldemort had been possessing him. When he realized when his feet had taken him Harry blinked repeatedly for a few seconds. Why had he come here of all places? Moments later he decided it didn't matter and shrugging his shoulders he entered the remains of Grimmauld Places Master Suite. There was a hole in the floor in the far left corner dragging the remains of Buckbeak's bed down to the room below. In the center of the right wall lay the tarnished remains of a once grand fireplace. A chair, once purple but no longer, rested a little behind the ruined fireplace. Harry had sat in that chair, it was uncomfortable and was guaranteed to be even more so now, but he found answers and comfort here in earlier life and maybe he would find them here again.

Two hours later Harry's foggy brain began to become much more sluggish, and with a wry grin, he realized why his fortune had been removed more swiftly as of late. Harry had reached the end of his usefulness and therefore expendable. Now he was more than a little satisfied with today's events. Huh, emotions came back when my body is in deep stress, Harry thought sluggishly. Looking around him a deep sadness filled Harry's entire body. He didn't want to die before getting a chance to live, he didn't want to die alone, and he certainly didn't want to die never knowing what it was to love and be loved in return. A tear slipped out of his left eye right before those green eyes turned glassy in death.

His parents were right, death was easier and quicker than falling asleep.

Death didn't last long though. Instead Harry felt himself being pulled backward through his life. When moving backward nearly 150 years a voice spoke gently. "Child of fate and destiny you have done well. You let them have their way and suffered for their choices. Fate and Destiny have abused you and therefore have lost all rights to govern your life. The powers are sending you back so that you might lead your life. You will have your memories. We wish you luck."

Harry crashed into his ten-year-old body on May 2, 1990, at 3:20 a.m.


	2. A Year To Plan

A Year To Plan

May 2, 1990 6:45 a.m.

Petunia Dursley woke with a start covered in a light sheen of sweat induced by the nightmare she had been experiencing only moments prior. Petunia often had nightmares about what would happen to her life if the neighbors ever found the truth about the boy. Lily just had to ruin everything good in her life. Lily was the pretty one, Lily was the smart one, Lily was the special one. Ugh, she couldn't remember a time when she didn't feel nauseous whenever Lily was brought up in any conversation. However, while Petunia wasn't as smart or as pretty as Lily, she was ambitious. While Lily was off at that freak school of hers no doubt being fawned over, Petunia was at a nice normal secondary school planning a life that Lily would never achieve. All she needed was to seduce a young man going places, marry him, and begin a nice quiet life in suburbia where she could gossip and mingle to her heart's content.

Petunia took great pride in achieving all of her goals. She had even been surprised to actually fall in love with the man she ruthlessly seduced, and Petunia had felt her heart over flow at the disgust he so openly displayed when she had told him about her freak relation. Then, joy of all joys entered her life the day she found herself to be pregnant. Petunia had a loving husband, a nice normal home, and a bundle of joy on the way. After she had given birth to her sweet handsome man, Petunia thought life could get no better, but hoped to be surprised.

All hope vanished that awful day in November when she had opened to door to the freak bundled up on her doorstep screaming his head off. Nearly a decade had passed since that awful day, and her normal worry free life had become one nightmare after another. The nightmare started when she and her husband realized that, that God awful man Dumbledore had left the freak without any papers. The hell didn't end there though, oh no, with every incident the freak caused the harder she and her husband had to talk their way around the issues the freak caused regularly.

Petunia had hoped to block most of the incidents by working him into exhaustion so the freak wouldn't have the extra energy to cause problems, and if his work helped her around the house she certainly wouldn't complain. Vernon wholeheartedly agreed to her plan and showed her his appreciation regularly. Petunia found she could enjoy these little appreciations more now with the extra energy she had from less housework. However, as flawless as her plan had started out the freak was resilient and had somehow managed to cause trouble to their lives over the years. The nightmares started after the first incident the freak had caused, and horror of all horrors the incident happened in the middle of a classroom, the incident was a slight against the teacher no less. Soon after Petunia's only source of joy in life was found in her family as she so called friends began to make snide remarks and sent her regular pitying glances.

The nightmare from last night had now passed and Good Lord it was already 7:05 a.m. Petunia had to get the boy up and supervise him while he made a decent enough breakfast for her family. She got up and put on a thin housecoat she had pulled from the closet two weeks ago when the weather had proven to have lost most of that year's wintery bite. Soon she was down the stairs and rapping sharply on the door to the space below her stairs. When she received no tell tale signs of the freak waking suddenly Petunia rapped louder and said, "Boy, get up!" When Petunia had still heard nothing she flung the door open nearly screech, "Boy, how dare you-" However, she never finished her wail as the shock of not finding the freak laying definitely on the cot Vernon had graciously given him stole her angry words. No instead she saw a normal ordinary cupboard filled with knick knacks from around the house. Knick knacks she had lamented over not having proper storage for thanks to the freak taking up her family's precious space. There was no evidence of the freak child ever being there. When Petunia realized this she smiled brightly. Who cares if she had extra housework ahead, her family was free of the nightmare that plagued them for nearly a decade. Nearly crying in happiness she ran back up the stairs to tell Vernon. As the Dursley's left Number 4 Privet Drive that morning headed to a small restaurant nearby the neighborhood was nearly blinded by the overwhelming joy and wished they could wash in the relief the family was releasing.

May 2, 1990

Harry Potter watched the Dursleys leave the house from the rooftop of Number 4. Since he arrived or received his future memories this morning he had much to think about. However, after only ten minutes of sitting in his long suppressed cupboard, all he could think about was not having to deal with the Dursley's again. Harry might have made his peace with his childhood, but he certainly wouldn't relive it. Therefore he had to ensure not only their safety from Dumbledore's manipulation but his own. He started by erasing all evidence of him from the Dursley's house. The cupboard, once his safe haven was soon filled with all the spare knick knacks from around the house. Harry then erased all magic from the house and disabled the so called blood wards by softly saying, "Number 4 Privet Drive is not my home never has it been. Petunia Dursley nee Evans is no family of mine. I disown her from the prestigious Evan's line."

The wards crashed and Harry disapparated to the house roof.

Feelings Harry had no idea how to deal with were fighting a valiant war inside him. He pushed them down relentlessly and continued to plan. The first stop he needed to make was to Gringotts. The goblins had been a great help to him in the future. What then though? Harry had been thrown in the past with no time to plan. Well, winging it had always worked in the past or future anyways, might as well just wing what he didn't have the foresight to plan. Nodding to himself Harry looked periodically to the end of Privet Drive. Arabella Figg, she would be an issue. The issues she would cause would hinder him greatly if he didn't take care of her and soon.

'Well,' Harry wryly thought, 'No time like the present.' A quick jump from the roof, and a couple of spells later he was swiftly breaking into the old hags home. A memory, repellent, and distraction charm were placed on the old woman and Harry had to restrain himself to just those spells. From this point on she would regularly flooed Dumbledore giving reports about her next door neighbor's son, all the while forgetting the about the Dursley's and Harry Potter. Furthermore, she would be repelled and distracted whenever she saw the Dursley's now. Harry dearly hoped that the spells kept his disappearance from reaching Dumbledore for some time. Well, in any case, they would delay the old man long enough.

Now the bank didn't open for another two and a half hours, and what better place to wait than the roof of Number 4? There Harry could both think and keep a wary eye out for the old man. When the Dursley's left Harry stretched and soothed aching body parts. Harry had some goblins to see.

The crack of apparition from Number 4 Privet Drive would only ever be heard again twice in the coming year. Once when Albus Dumbledore finally checked his gizmos alerting him the wards surrounding Number 4 six months from now, and the second would announce his leaving. A week later the bodies of the Dursley family would be found by local bobbies checking up on the family that hadn't been seen in recent days.

May 2, 1990 8:15 a.m.

Ripcord watched the comings and goings of wizard filth on the left side of the bank entrance. The ignorant things only paid attention to the guards outside. He loved envisioning the faces of the customers if one were to warrant him to take action, when he snuck up behind them and foiled their insidious and pitiful attempts. This was perhaps unwise as he missed the small boy with messy black hair and emerald eyes entering the bank and sneaking up beside him. Ripcord might not have noticed, but Griphook certainly did. When the boy saw the other goblin watching he put a finger to his lips before continuing his ambush. Griphook grinned and waited for the fun to begin. Ripcord was going to get what was coming to him.

The boy was soon right beside Ricord and waited until nearly every goblin in the room had seen him and had given their silent approval. After all, the nation took pride in being fierce warriors, and if a child could sneak up on one of their own they did not deserve to be apart of the goblin nation. Once he had gotten the all the non-verbal approval he needed Harry began his fun.

"Enjoying yourself are you?" Harry drawled in a lazy voice next to the goblin. Ripcord jumped and was about to attack the unknown person who had managed to sneak up on him. However, he found himself quickly disarmed by the boy a child no less. After he was disarmed ten goblins surrounded him and started pulling him to a side room where his kin was executed for failing their duty or betraying the goblin nation. Ripcord dearly wished he had done his job.

The commotion in the corner had attracted no attention from the human customers but had gained every goblin in the entry halls complete attention. The boy with messy black hair and vivid green eyes had just won all of their respect. An eleventh Goblin came over to the boy and asked if he would like to be shown to a private room for a chat. The boy nodded and with no one the wiser Harry Potter was well on his way to making sure the plans the wizarding world had dreamed up for the boy never came to pass especially if they were dreamed by Albus Dumbledore, Hermione Granger, or anyone with the name Weasley.

The room Harry Potter was shown into was nicer than most of the rooms clients of Gringotts as it was for those holding the title of Goblin Friend. As soon as the door was shut and the unknown Goblin sat Harry started in.

"I am Harry Potter, I expect you will want to perform a blood test to confirm this as I have no wand or key to identify myself. Once you have confirmed my identity I would like all the belongings Albus Dumbledore stole from me returned. Once that process had begun I wish to have my parents will read, and if I am correct I also will need a solicitor to help sort out all of the legal issues that will spring up when the proverbial shit hits the fan." Harry spoke swiftly and firmly. Goblins viewed time as money after all and he dearly needed them on his side, or at least on friendly terms with him.

The goblin, whose name still was unknown, smirked nastily while suppressing chuckles from escaping. He liked this kid more and more by the minute. The child showed proper respect and had defeated one of their own swiftly. Even if the dung Ripcord had been distracted disarming a goblin was no easy task.

"Well, Mister Potter, if that actually is your name, I hope you don't have any plans today."


	3. How To Get What You Want

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

How-To Get What You Want Without Anyone Noticing

May 2, 1990 9:15 a.m.

Harry Potter and the Gringotts Goblin Bonebreaker watched the magical parchment absorb the blood currently dripping from the deep gash across the boy's palm. However, as the wound healed and the blood flow cut off, Harry's view was obstructed as the Goblin picked up the Parchment and began studying the contents intently.

"Well, everything seems to be in order Mister Potter." Bonebreaker intoned.

"Is that so?" Harry replied mildly. "Then I guess I shouldn't mention that I have not received a single statement from Gringotts since my parent's death, or the fact that the money and objects from my vaults were removed by Albus Dumbledore illegally and without permission as he is not my magical guardian. Maybe I shouldn't tell you that he has gone against my parents will and illegally imprisoned my legal guardian so he could place me in the home of my mother's sister against both my parent's wishes."

Bonebreaker's face grew darker at the end of every sentence falling from the boy's mouth. Bonebreaker was downright furious and by all accounts, the boy should be too, yet his voice remained calm throughout his statements.

"If what you are saying is true then more than one head will roll in Gringotts today. I shall contact a solicitor now." Bonebreaker stated in the calmest voice he could manage.

Bonebreaker stood and walked to the wall behind his desk. A section of the wall slid over to reveal three Goblins. A quick conversation in Gobbledygook later and the three Goblins were rushing off. Ten minutes later one of the goblin's returned with the company of Ted Tonks to Harry's surprise.

Bonebreaker saw the surprise on the boy's face and explained the man's presence, "Ted Tonks is one of the best solicitors we know Mister Potter, and you had stated you would need one."

Harry nodded and said, "While I am surprised it has nothing to do with you bringing in a solicitor perhaps I shall explain once we are all settled in and I am officially a client."

Ted Tonks had been seated by this point waiting patiently to find out just why he had been called in so urgently, and soon both the Goblin and the boy were looking at him. Ted prided himself in not shifting under the weight of both their gazes.

"Mister Tonks" Harry addressed the man first, "I am going to be filing charges against a political bastard high on the totem pole. This will not be an easy case, and I have no doubt the press, the ministry, and even the man himself will set up as many obstacles as they can in our way. If you do not feel comfortable taking on such a huge case then I will ask you to leave now and the goblins shall find me another solicitor."

Ted Tonks looked at the boy intently. He could see the resemblance to the boy's parents in every corner of his face. What he focused on was the boy's body language. Harry Potter, Ted concluded, was more than he seemed. Nodding to himself he turned to the boy, "I will do my best to help you accomplish any legal action you feel you need to take at this time."

Harry nodded curtly at the man. "Very well then you should know that the political bastard I was talking about is one Albus Dumbledore. Do you still wish to proceed?"

Ted Tonks paled, but he had already given his word to do his best so he nodded a bit shakily.

"Alright, then the first thing I want to be done is to make sure that Albus Dumbledore can never gain any legal hold over me outside of being my headmaster when the time comes. After that, I need you to work on voiding any legal contracts he has set up for me such as money loans, marriage contracts, or betrothal contracts. Then I would like all the heirlooms and books he has stolen from me returned. I suggest you involve house elves to accomplish this as they can get through almost any ward. Dumbledore is slippery and he will make sure any human sent to collect my things will find nothing." Harry paused and let his demands to sink in before continuing, "Then I need you to work on freeing Sirius Black from Azkaban. I suggest you do so by heading over to the Weasley home and confiscating their rat under the guise that magical rats are carriers for a new magical pandemic. Are there any questions?"

Ted Tonks had gone very pale in the beginning, however now he was almost purple in the face. "You mean to tell me that Albus Dumbledore has stolen from you?"

"Not only that Mister Tonks, Albus Dumbledore violated the Potters will by placing him in Lily Potter's sister Petunia Dursley's home," Bonebreaker spoke up from the desk. "We did tell you this case would be big."

Bonebreaker and Harry both watched Ted run a hand through his hair. "You did, that you did."

May 2, 1990 4:00 p.m.

Bonebreaker sighed as he watched Harry Potter and Ted Tonks leave his office. The three of them had accomplished much today. He had thought that getting Harry Potter out Dumbledore's legal reach would be much more difficult than it was. Mister Potter had simply asked for him to bring the lordship rings from his vault up. Bonebreaker and Ted Tonks had both tried to explain that the magic in lordship rings would refuse anyone under the age of seventeen. However, the boy had insisted which had gotten under Bonebreaker's skin, but after a twenty-minute staring contest he had sighed and asked for the rings to be brought up. To his great surprise the all the lordship rings from the house of Potter, Peverell, and Gryffindor all slid on his right-hand ring finger and merged. By wizarding law, if you were the lord of any house you were an adult because no ring would accept anyone under the age of seventeen as a lord. Therefore Harry Potter was an adult in the eyes of the law, and no one could contest this fact.

As Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor, Harry absolved any and all contracts Albus Dumbledore had constructed and tied to Harry Potter. Both Bonebreaker and Ted had been openly disgusted after reading the marriage contract between the boy and the youngest Weasley. Forcing someone to marry or lose their magic was beyond barbaric. Not only that but the contract forcing him to willingly give any amount of money to the Weasley and Dumbledore family when asked was beyond despicable.

Bonebreaker had watched Ted Tonks go from skeptical about the accusations against Dumbledore to him losing all loyalty to the man in the space of an hour. This had eased some of Bonebreaker's wariness with the solicitor. The goblin nation would have cut all ties with the solicitor if he had shown any indication that he would have tipped the old man off. As such, Dumbledore had no warning what so ever when they employed one of the Tonk's own house elves to retrieve the young lord's possessions from the man. On a stroke of brilliance, they had also gotten the elf to take pictures of the room or rooms where the objects were found. The pictures would be placed in a growing folder of evidence that would be used to tear the old man apart when they started pressing charges.

Now two of the day's goals had been met, and the rumbling stomachs of the three urged them to take an hour break. After that hour they would begin the process of freeing Sirius Black. Bonebreaker's last thought before he left the office to find food was if freeing Black would be as smoothly accomplished as everything else today.

May 02, 1990 4:00 p.m.

Ted Tonks followed Harry Potter out of the office almost dazedly. The boy had turned his world upside down in the space of a few hours. Before he walked into the bank today, if he had been asked his opinion of Albus Dumbledore he would have said that Dumbledore was a great man. Ted could no longer say the same. Now was not the time to analyze his emotions he only had an hour before the next world turning even began, and Ted was sure a good supper his wife had prepared would help him through this next trial.

May 02, 1990 4:00 p.m.

Harry Potter quickly made his way out of the bank and Diagon alley. His stomach was rumbling loudly reminding him that he probably hadn't eaten in more than a few days. Looking around he found a little family restaurant nearby. The place was set up with dark furniture and light walls depicting sunny fields. From the decor, Harry guessed that this place was probably an Italian restaurant.

The clerk at the cashier desk looked over and smiled at him, "Can I help you?" he asked kindly.

Harry nodded, "My mother is shopping for a wedding dress at a boutique around the corner. She hasn't eaten anything all day so I popped out to come pick up something to eat. I have enough allowance to pay for the meal I promise!"

The man chuckled, "Okay young man calm down. You are doing a very nice thing for you mother in what I am sure is a very stressful time. However, you shouldn't run off without telling her. How about you order something and go back to the shop and tell her what you are up to, and then you can come back and pick up your order."

Harry pretended to think this over before smiling as brightly as he could manage and nodded. The man chuckled again and Harry managed to keep a placid smile on his face while reading over the menu. Soon Harry had ordered a healthy dumpling soup and salad and was popping out the door. The clerk had watched him round the corner and into the shop. Luckily everyone in the store was too busy to notice him. Fifteen minutes later he left the shop and made his way back to the restaurant. The clerk smiled and handed him his food and Harry handed over the money. He then left and disappeared back into Diagon Alley.

The food was well worth the irritating clerk. He knew his physical age was going to cause him issues until he was of age in the muggle world, and those ignorant of his lord status in the magical world, but it didn't make it any less irritating. He was an adult and being treated like a child was condescending and hard to endure. After his last life though, he would take all the issues that came with this one.

May 02, 1990 5:00 p.m.

Bonebreaker was prepared for the knock that came to his office door, but he was impressed that his expected guest arrived right on the dot. Then he remembered today's earlier events and chastised himself for being surprised while he called out, "Come in."

Both Harry Potter and Ted Tonks slipped in the door and took their previous seats in front of his desk. The time to free Sirius Black had come.


	4. How To Get What You Want 02

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

We Will Need Amelia Bones

May 2, 1990, 5:00 p.m. Bonebreaker's Office

"Mister Potter, I realize today's events have gone much smoother than they normally would, however, the tasks at hand will not be so easily dealt with," Bonebreaker stated starting their session back up again.

Ted took over, "While usually emancipation is a year long process you can begin at the age of fourteen, you have by passed all the paperwork and legal issues quite legally if astonishingly. You were also able to use my house elf to retrieve your belongings without any repercussions in the light of Merlin's possession laws which state that 'The lord of any house may retrieve any stolen items through whatever means are available so long as they have documented proof that the objects retrieved are indeed their possessions.' It goes on to explain that in the retrieval of said object you may collect whatever evidence you may come across in the retrieval even if the evidence has nothing to do with the stolen items. Which means that if another lord had stolen from you, and you sent a team of Aurors to retrieve your belongings anything the Aurors found to be illegal in the home could also be confiscated and the lord would be charged for those items as well. Now the issue with Black will have to be handled delicately if indeed he is innocent. The man was charged with betraying your parents to He Who Must Not Be Named and killing Pettigrew along with twelve others by blowing up a street in London. The finger left behind by Pettigrew was enough proof for the Aurors to sign a death certificate for Pettigrew. Furthermore, they have awarded the man a Merlin Second Class award for his services in catching Black. You say Pettigrew is currently residing at the Weasley home, but even after everything we have been through today I still have a hard time believing Black is innocent and Pettigrew framed him while escaping alive and managing to stay hidden all these years. I sincerely doubt I could convince anyone else of Black's innocence either as I doubt he is myself"

Harry smiled thinly before saying, "Perhaps I shall fill in some gaps. My dad, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew all became illegal animagus while attending Hogwarts. My dad was a stag, Sirius turned into a black canine which looks eerily like a grim, and Pettigrew became a rat. Now Sirius Black was never convicted as he never received a trial. He is currently imprisoned illegally in Azkaban. Dumbledore was the Fidelius caster over my parents home. If you need proof it is within my parent's will. My parents had assumed they had come up with the perfect coo, distract everyone with Sirius Black who had always been very close to my father while using another wizard to keep the secret. Sirius was a main target at the time too and would be an even higher target once the Potters were under the Fidelius charm. Therefore he was the distraction and could never be tortured, if caught, into betraying my parents. The wizard they chose to take over was Pettigrew. Once Voldemort had fallen Pettigrew quite rightly assumed he would be imprisoned soon if he didn't take action. So Pettigrew played to everyone's belief by shouting that Black had betrayed the Potters to the Dark Lord catching several Muggle witnesses before blowing up the street while transforming into a rat. I can only guess at the reasons Pettigrew had to betray my parents."

"That same night Dumbledore used Pettigrew's stunt to his advantage. He had already placed me with the Dursley's by this point and needed to make sure I stayed there. So using his position as Chief Mugwump and the Potter will executor he sealed my parents will. He then told everyone he has followed my parent's wishes and placed me with the loving family the Potter had chosen, but my placement would have to be kept secret in light of the Death Eaters still at large. Then once I was of age he would unseal the will and finish executing my parents will. All the while leaving Black to rot in Azkaban prison the Aurors had placed him in without a trial right after he was arrested as everyone 'knew' he was guilty of betraying the Potters and was too busy hysterically laughing to deny the attack on the street. Not that anyone would have listened to anything Black might have said at that point."

Bonebreaker and Ted had similarly lost in thought looks on their faces. Bonebreaker finished his thoughts first. "Mister Potter if what you are saying is true, though I have no idea how you have come to know these things, then the easiest way to free heir Black would be to unseal the will. This will catch too much of Dumbledore's attention too soon. As of right now, he has no idea that you have escaped his grasp or taken back you belongings as he has been very busy with the International Confederation sessions which will end in five days time. However, as the Potter's will executor he will be notified if anyone tries to view your parent's wills."

Ted nodded but did not add anything to their current predicament.

"The next way we could work on freeing Black is to either catch Pettigrew, who is currently out of reach in the Weasley household according to you Mister Potter or whisper into a few ministry officials ears." Bonebreaker continued.

Harry thought for a moment ignoring both Ted's and Bonebreaker's examining eyes. "Why not combine the two options. Amelia Bones is high enough on the totem pole to not only get the ball rolling but can also give the directive for people to capture Pettigrew."

Ted and Bonebreaker nodded. Amelia Bones would be an ideal person to help them along, however, they would have to convince her to help first. She would be duty bound as the head of Magical Law Enforcement to at least look into the allegations. If Mister Potter was correct in his findings, and the two men had no doubt he was, the first thing Miz Bones would find is the lack of a trial for Sirius Black. The lack of trial would have to be rectified, but the minister would put up a fight as soon as he heard anything about the lack of trial. The minister or his detested assistant would make sure that Black wouldn't make it to a trial alive. Which meant that their party would have to convince Amelia Bones the head of Magical Law Enforcement that Peter Pettigrew was not only alive but posing as a common house rat/ pet in the Weasley household.

Harry could see the same conclusion dawn on both Ted and Bonebreaker's face causing both to pail somewhat and take on resigned postures. Bonebreaker checked his watch it was now 7:30 p.m. the bank was due to close in thirty minutes. "Mister Potter, Solicitor Tonks, while we have accomplished much today and still have a hefty agenda ahead of us, the bank is due to close soon and any meeting with Amelia Bones is sure to take some time. As this is matter needs to be handled quickly least Dumbledore catches wind of our actions I will fire call her tonight and hopefully have a meeting set up with her tomorrow morning or the next day. Once the meeting is set up I will owl you with the time of the meeting. Mister Potter, I have a sneaking suspicion that you have only revealed a little of what you know about Dumbledore's dirty laundry. If you can bring proof of any other misdoings you know about to the next meeting we have I think Solicitor Tonks and I can find the best way to exploit his deeds to our advantage."

"A good night's rest sounds very agreeable to me. I shall see you both soon." Harry said as he stood and stretched his aching muscles. Ted nodded slightly relieved this could all wait until the morning. He planned on taking the night to relax in the calm before the storm which was building in intensity every moment he spent in the young lord's presence. Soon both were out the door and Bonebreaker was firecalling Amelia Bones. However, Bonebreaker's night wouldn't end there. Brokeback, the Potter's last accountant, was going to be tried and beheaded for his crimes against the goblin nation.

Brokebacks trial was longer than expected lasting nearly three hours. Griphook who had done a full audit on all of Brokeback's deals. The traitor had also been a witness to the Potter's wills and knew that Albus Dumbledore had not only gone against their wishes in the placement of their child but that he illegally set himself up as the new young Lord's magical guardian. Brokeback had also helped Dumbledore create the contract forcing the young man to give away his inheritance to certain individuals when asked. The fat traitor had stolen nearly as much as Dumbledore from Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor. Once his thieving ways had been brought to light he was beheaded, and the rest of his crimes were read aloud to the crowd. Bonebreaker and his kin's blood was boiling near the end. Lord Harry James Potter Peverell Gryffindor would have been declared a friend of the goblin nation for bringing these atrocities to light had he not earned the title earlier that morning.

When the execution was complete Bonebreaker was approached by his king Ragnok. "Bonebreaker, please tell me we have not gained an enemy in Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor."

"Indeed we have not my king. The young lord and I have worked throughout the day together compiling evidence to completely ruin Dumbledore. He has made no threats to remove his vaults from our establishment, and has already regained all of the stolen belongings if not the funds Dumbledore has taken." Bonebreaker quickly reassured his king. Ragnok sighed relieved, having the young lord as an enemy would ruin them. He nodded once to Bonebreaker before departing once more.

May 2, 1990 7:50 p.m.

Amelia Bones winced as she stood on stiff legs. She hated floo conversations, and not for the first time wished for the magical version of the telephone. The floo call had been important though, from the little information Brokeback could give out, without breaking client confidentiality, things in magical Europe were about to become very hectic. Amelia had been grateful for the implied time shortage the task was under as it gave her a very reasonable excuse to miss another meeting with the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and his pet toad and Senior Undersecretary Dolores Umbitch um Umbridge. These meetings never accomplished anything, and most of the time Delores spread the gossip she had heard throughout the week with the minister while simultaneously trying to pry classified information from her. Amelia should know as they had had one of these meetings two days ago. When she had heard they had scheduled another meeting for tomorrow morning she had to suppress her shudders at having to sit there and sip overly dressed up tea for at least three hours twice in one week.

However, until now she had dutifully attended every one of these meetings. She shivered at the thought of what the Minister and his toad would come up with if she weren't around to rein both of them in and keep them in the line of the law. Delores had already tried to convince the minister to pass some truly heinous personally drafted werewolf laws. Thankfully the Minister couldn't actually pass the laws even under Martial Law. She still needed to be there to remind the two that their rule was not absolute and they still had hefty boundaries. Amelia liked to thank whoever ran the universe frequently over that fact that Fudge was simply the Minister of Magical Britain and not the king.

The stiffness was soon walked out of her legs as she was about halfway to the dining room where she was about to have supper with her niece Susan just ten minutes before. Raising Susan was both rewarding and painful to Amelia. While she loves Susan like a daughter, every time she saw the girl she also saw her brother. The pain was brief but intense when she saw flashes of her brother in Susan, however, they were easily eased just spending time with the girl. Susan was as close to a daughter as she would get as the man she had been in love with for years was currently locked in a high-security cell in Azkaban. Amelia wished she could have stopped loving him when she found out his Death Eater status and his betrayal of the Potter family, but she couldn't. She was almost thankful the Potter's child, her godson, hadn't been placed in her care when they had died. Caring for one child was heard enough when grieving over loved ones, and working through the betrayals against one's heart made the challenge all the greater.

Pushing those depressing thoughts to the side Amelia stepped into the dining room smiling at Susan when she realized the girl had waited until her business was concluded so that they might enjoy dinner together. Yes, Susan was enough, Amelia determined, to be as reasonably happy with her life. The girl was bright, hard working, and so much more. More than the million words Amelia could ever attain to describe her. Amelia settled down at the table and began to enjoy a wonderful meal with her niece. The wiggling curiosity in the back of her mind grew steadily throughout the night as she thought on her meeting with Bonebreaker tomorrow. For a reason she could not explain, she felt hopeful that her life would become more than reasonably happy in the coming weeks. Hope is a powerful thing, and Amelia's hope helped her ease into one of the best night's sleep she had attained since the last magical war had started.


	5. Happiness Is Only A Court Day Away

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Happiness Is Just One Court Date Away.

May 3, 1990 8:30 a.m. Gringotts

Bonebreaker rubbed tired eyes as he entered his office. Today was promising to be just a tiring as yesterday, and he had only been awake for half an hour. The meeting between Amelia Bones, Ted Tonks, and Lord Harry Potter Peverell Gryffindor was due to start in thirty minutes, however, he had sent out an owl to the young lord with an earlier start time by ten minutes. Bonebreaker hoped that the earlier start time would give him enough time to get a head start on the information on Dumbledore's misdeeds the boy would hopefully have on him when he entered the office. The goblin nation had been trying for years to get their hands on Dumbledore's secrets, but all of their investigations came up empty. Dumbledore wasn't the only one the goblin nation was collecting blackmail on though, anyone in government who had the power to make or change laws were carefully monitored least these individuals make laws that would hinder or hurt the goblin nation. Dumbledore had managed to out maneuver every attempt at finding out the barest information, 'the slippery bastard'. Anyone who was that desperate to hide their past was sure to have many skeletons in their closet.

8:50 a.m. on the dot a soft knock broke the silence in the office before the door was quickly opened and Harry Potter slid into the room quickly before shutting the door sharply. A goblin slid in the room just moments later from the hidden passage behind the wall. "Bonebreaker the wards have alerted us to an intruder in the bank! All rooms have been sealed."

As soon as the goblin finished speaking Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor smirked and to both the goblins surprise he began to search his person. When he finished checking his person he spun quickly and slapped a hand on the office door and closed his fist. Then he turned to the goblins, who were by now looking at him as if he had a few screws loose, and smiled victoriously. "Gentlemen I believe or fortunes have been favored today. Perhaps you both are familiar with the Daily Prophet journalist Rita Skeeter?" he asked off hand before throwing the thing in his hand in the air and both goblins watched as the now identified black water beetle swiftly left the boy's hand and changed into none other than Rita Skeeter. The woman landed hard and stumbled before looking up and finding herself on the receiving end of three sadistic smiles.

"Miss Skeeter, I see you have two choices at this point. Once we hand you over to the ministry for crimes against the goblin nation while revealing your illegal animagus abilities, or you can enter into a contract with us for three months." Bonebreaker stated nastily knowing which option she would take. Fortune had indeed favored them today.

Rita wasn't a stupid woman. While she loved stirring the pot with half-truths and blunt insults with those in the wizarding limelight, she knew one day she would step on the wrong toes. Apparently, the boy who lived wasn't one who waited for his toes to be stepped on and instead had trapped her with the fake feet she had planned to step on as soon as she saw the boy entering Gringotts that morning. Now, she had the choice to either be tried at the ministry revealing plenty of her secrets before she was carted off to Azkaban or she would be bound to the goblins whims for three months. Well, she didn't know how she would ever choose.(Insert sarcasm here) "I think my best option here is your 'generous' offer of working for the goblin nation for the next three months."

Bonebreaker smirked smugly in his accomplishment. "Very well, Lockjaw would you go and fetch an employment contract for Miss Skeeter. Miss Skeeter please take a seat and keep quiet. Be thankful you are even able to hear the contents discussed in this room today legally. We may even allow you to publish the articles we will need in the coming days if you behave today." Rita Skeeter immediately took a seat and vowed to herself to that she would be on her best behavior.

"Now Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor, please tell me you have the information I asked for yesterday." Bonebreaker now addressed the young lord while pretending that the Skeeter woman wasn't even there.

Harry smirked and handed over a folder the size of a book, and had to stop himself from laughing at the bulging eyes of his goblin friend. Just as the book folder of blackmail research landed on Bonebreaker desk a sharp knock on his office door sounded again.

'Well,' Bonebreaker thought, 'I wouldn't have time to go through a folder that size anyway.' So he sighed and snarled a sharp, "Come in."

Amelia Bones and Ted Tonks were soon entering the office and taking the empty seats. Ted raised an eyebrow at Bonebreaker when he spotted the Skeeter woman when examining the room as he entered. Once both Tonks and Bones were seated, Bonebreaker began. "Thank you for coming in so promptly Miss Bones. However, your meeting is not so much with me, but with the boy sitting to your right."

Amelia Bones turned her head to examine to the boy and gasped when she deduced who the child was. Seeing he had Madam Bones attention Harry began, "Madam Bones, I ask you to look past my young age and who I am and listen to what I have to say with an open mind. Albus Dumbledore violated my parents will, withheld information to free an innocent man from Azkaban, and has stolen from my family." Harry could see doubt settle into the woman's posture. Obviously, she held a great deal of respect for Albus Dumbledore even if they were not always in agreement over things.

"I see Mister Potter, do you happen to have any proof of these allegations? The last I knew Dumbledore had sealed James and Lily's wills before you were even old enough to comprehend them. Not only that, but I find it hard to believe a man like Albus Dumbledore would leave an innocent man in prison. While I find him a bit eccentric I also know him to be a good man. You may not know but the Dumbledore family is also an old and respected one, I am quite sure he has enough family money of his own and in no need to steal your own funds." Amelia stated.

Harry turned to Bonebreaker, "If you would, please bring forth the copies of my parent's wills Gringotts keeps for legal use." Bonebreaker nodded and sent Lockjaw off once more wondering why he hadn't brought it with him to his office this morning. The office was silent until Lockjack returned.

"Bonebreaker," Lockjaw began, "What was the task you just sent me to accomplish? I found myself unable to remember in the will archive room in the P section."

Everyone in the room saw the signs of a confundus charm at work. Bonebreaker sneered and excused both himself and Lockjaw. He now knew why he hadn't brought the Potter's wills with him to the office this morning. The office was eerily silent until thirty minutes later both goblins returned with equal looks of fury on their faces.

"I apologize for the wait. We found that the last Potter Accountant had let Albus Dumbledore place a confundus ward around our copies of James and Lily Potter's joint wills. We have found his magical signature on the ward in case you are wondering Miss Bones." Bonebreaker explained to the silent party.

Amelia Bones still looked disbelieving until the goblin began to read the last will and testament of James and Lily Potter where they had delved passed the usually sound of body and mind mumbo jumbo included in every Will and into who the cast the Fidelius charm over Godric's Hollow and their chosen secret keeper. Once the information had registered Amelia Bones felt dizzy and her world turned black.

Ted Tonks caught Amelia Bones before she could hit the floor and worked on reviving her from her fainting spell. Bonebreaker paused in the will reading as he needs Amelia to accept and process its contents. Rita Skeeter's began to twitch with the need to write all the juicy details down, and she was sure this was just the tip of the iceberg. She was also sure that if the goblins allowed her to write for them none of the stories would even need to be embellished, and she wasn't even sure she would want to embellish the tale about to unfold. Harry meanwhile was glad another one of the 'Dumbledore is a saint brigade,' had broken free from that particular illusion.

Amelia Bones was soon awake once more and close to what everyone could assume were hysterical tears. "So you mean to tell me," she began in a hoarse voice, "That Sirius is innocent, Dumbledore knew he was innocent, and Sirius has been locked away in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit?"

Bonebreaker nodded firmly while wondering why these facts were upsetting her so. Ted Tonks had been more of a Dumbledore groupie than this woman was, and he certainly hadn't shown such emotion when his beliefs were set on fire and burned to the ground. His musings were interrupted when Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor spoke softly, "You were close to Sirius weren't you?"

The three other office occupants shot him surprised looks. "You called him Sirius in the familiar twice as if you knew the man as more than just an old friend," Harry explained. Amelia simply nodded in agreement while slightly dumbfounded at the boy's insight and observation. "Okay then," Harry continued, "As you now have proof that Dumbledore is guilty of at least one of my earlier accusations will you actually listen to me and my associates, or do we need to rip off the rest of your blinders until there are none left to block your vision from the truth?" All Amelia could do was nod her head.

Soon the rest of the joint Potter wills were read and all of the accusations the young lord held against Dumbledore were backed up by significant proof. However, everyone in the office knew Dumbledore could still find a way, while on trial no less, to talk his way out of the boiling water he had been placed in. When Ted pointed this out both Bonebreaker and Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor smirked and turned to Rita Skeeter.

"Miss Skeeter, I think you will find you are going to love working for us over the next few months. Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor has kindly given me this amazing book, I mean folder, of insight revealing a great deal if not all of Dumbledore's wrong doings." Bonebreaker began and watched the witch's eyes light up in excitement,"The best distraction we can possibly have is you revealing one scandal after another over the course of the next two weeks. This will help us tear down the man's reputation a little at a time. While you are distracting the masses and ripping Dumbledore's reputation to shreds Amelia can work on setting Black free."

Amelia Bones showed her skill at thinking on her feet by interrupting, "How are you going to convince the public that the articles are not just more of Skeeters fantasy stories inspired by half truths, and even if I could get my hands on Sirius' trial, I could never convince anyone on the Wizengamot to pull him from Azkaban to requestion him or re-examine a hole in either of the cases as he is not only in prison for betraying the Potters the Dark Menos, but the murder of Peter Pettigrew and twelve Muggles as well. "

Harry took over, "That may be so, but I have yet to reveal our greatest advantage to you. Not only is Peter Pettigrew alive, but I know where he currently resides. Not only that, but you will find that Sirius was never tried before being carted off to Azkaban. Now as to Rita's part all she has to do is reveal that due to a debt she owes to the goblin she is under contract to write truthful and non embellished articles on information the goblins would like to disclose for the next three months under threat of heavy penalty. This will keep Dumbledore busy trying to figure out just how the goblins attained such detail information about his past, and from whom." Amelia Bones, Bonebreaker, Ted Tonks, and Rita Skeeter stared at the boy dumbfounded.

It was not long before Amelia found her voice again, "You mean to tell me that Sirius is innocent for both crimes he is in Azkaban for, and that he never had a trial convicting him?" Miss Bones must have been very close to Harry's godfather for her attention to be centered around Sirius' innocence.

Harry, Bonebreaker, and Ted all nodded and were preparing themselves in case they needed to revive the woman again if she fainted once more. They were pleasantly surprised when she didn't show signs of fainting and instead saw a smile slowly slide onto her face.

"Well, this makes things much easier. Once I have Pettigrew in custody I will ask enough prying questions to warrant enough doubt for the use of Veritaserum, as I assume he will not be able to answer most of my questions in a way that satisfies anyone. When the fat rat bastard reveals he was the true culprit behind the Potters demise and the death of twelve muggles Fudge will try and cover everything up. However, he will be easily convinced this would be a bad idea when I remind him that Skeeter managed to reveal Dumbledore's dirty laundry with the help of the goblins and tear him to pieces in the span of a week. I will then remind him that the goblins are about as fond of the ministry as they are of Dumbledore, and if they managed to uncover as many skeletons as Dumbledore had managed to hide over the years well it would only be a matter of time before they went after the ministry with just as much ferocity. I would then say I could see the headlines of 'Ministry Illegally Imprisons Pureblood Lord' The only problem I see being an issue is apprehending Pettigrew in a way that won't raise suspicion. After all, you don't just happen to find supposed dead wizards masquerading around in their animagus forms."

Bonebreaker looked at Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor and had the nearly overwhelming urge to sigh. None of Bonebreaker's business had ever gone so smoothly in all of the five decades he had been assigned to this post. The young lord had managed to free himself from Dumbledore's custody legally, retrieve all his stolen belongings from the man, and he was now well on his way to freeing his innocent godfather in the span of thirty-six hours. Not only that, but his original plan of having ministry officials nab Pettigrew from the Weasley's home was going to end up an easy feat due to a case he just recently handed over evidence for, The case involved a lesser pureblood house was experimenting with an old wizard pandemic on rats. The rats were carriers, and well if a viable strain had gotten out… well, it's best not examine the possibilities to closely for one's sanity sake. Bonebreaker decided this boy either had some serious luck or foreknowledge. Maybe it was a bit of both. However, it frustrated the goblin and elated him because this case would have been hell from start to whenever Dumbledore stuck his nose in and blocked any progress that could be made, but Bonebreaker admitted quietly admitted to himself that the loss prospect of the challenge this entire affair promised was almost crushing. He could withhold his knowledge and challenge himself to come up with a suitable alternative plan, but then he was reminded that an innocent man was trapped in a cell surrounded by Dementors. Therefore he took a deep breath and released it slowly to help relieve him from the conflicting emotions playing through him and gave one last lament at the loss of a first truly promising challenge he had received in nearly two decades before he addressed his present company once more.

"Miss Bones, a case that would suit our needs in this matter passed my desk just three days ago. I can't legally give out any information about the case, however, you shall know which case I am talking about after I tell you that Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor has informed us that Pettigrew has managed to hide in the Weasley home by masquerading around in his illegal animagus rat form." He watched Amelia to see if she could put the case he was referring to and Pettigrew's rat animagus abilities together and come to the same conclusion he had arrived at just moments before. The moment he saw the understanding flash in her eyes and a devious smile cross her lips Bonebreaker relaxed and Amelia Bones stood up.

Nine years was a long time to be away from the one you loved, and Amelia needed to free the love of her life from that god awful prison and spend the rest of her life making up for never doubting his guilt as soon as she could manage. Amelia had all the working of a near fool proof plan, and now she needed to set that plan in motion. "You will all have to excuse me. Time is of the essence and the sooner Sirius is out of prison the better." She didn't even wait for nods of approval as she practically ran out the door eager for the chance at being in her beloved's presence once more.

Tonks sighed, while he had no doubt this case would run its course as smoothly as the two previous cases Ted could feel the weight beginning to mount under the pressure of what still needed to be accomplished before Sirius Black was a free man once more. Then they would be jumping right into a legal battle against Albus Dumbledore, and Ted was positive working against Albus Dumbledore would not be as easy even with the man's reputation torn to shred. However, they had come to a stopping point today, and he could see Bonebreaker and the Skeeter woman itching to leaf through the book like folder resting on the desk in front of them, and they would need time to go over its contents, but had only until tomorrow to begin the crusade against Dumbledore. Therefore he and Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor (good lord that name is a mouthful even when thought) needed to leave them too it. He turned to the boy and found he didn't need to say anything, the boy nodded and turned to address Bonebreaker. "Everything you need should be included in those documents. I shall leave you and Miss Skeeter to handle the articles. If you need me from now until the court date where Sirius will be freed you can floo me under the address of 'Griffin's Pride.'" After both of them nodded to both he and Tonks the pair left the room.


	6. Getting the Ball Rolling

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

A Trial Within Reach

May 03, 1990 11:15 a.m.

Amelia Bones high was running out. She had practically, mostly, run out of Gringotts to an appererating point near the Leaky Caldron. The pain of apperating helped her gain some composure, and she prided herself in being able to project a calm aura when making her way through the ministry vast building to her office. Once she was in her office her calm composer snapped and she began frantically searching for the case file which would be the key to being able to free Sirius.

She nearly cried in relief when she found the file, and that shocked her enough to take a deep breath to calm down. Amelia knew she couldn't rush things. Rushing through everything would leave gaping holes which would hinder freeing her beloved. Hell rushing might even help the real culprit run free. Now, Amelia hadn't become the head of the department of Magical Law by making rash rushed decisions. She needed to stop thinking like a desperate woman in love and more like the head of Magical Law.

Amelia calmed down by taking slow even breaths which helped her gain a clearer head. Once she was in control of herself again she sat down at her desk and opened the file to review the details. Case number 446587 was exactly what she needed. A lesser known pureblood house of Morgan were survival nuts who conducted illegal experiments to make sure they had a contingency plan in any emergency. They had documented and conducted as many what if scenarios as possible over the years to ensure that they were prepared for anything. Most of the experiments were very dangerous. Nearly all of the Morgan families research had been handed over to the department of mysteries. However, one of the experiments had to be brought to the attention of the department of Magical Law.

This experiment involved exposing rats to a magical disease and seeing how fast the pandemic spread. One of the exposed rats had escaped as unspeakable's were collecting evidence. When Amelia had read this she had panicked until she had read that the disease was a mild form of scarlet fever or strep throat. Her original plan had been to warn St. Mungo's and give a heads up to the public. St. Mungos could restock or over stock on the medicine needed to treat everyone and the public could keep an eye out for any signs of illness. Amelia thanked god almighty that the Morgans were survivalist through and through and hadn't used a disease that could potentially harm them. Amelia then planned to put the case out of her mind. However, while the disease was mild it would affect their world. Therefore, no one would blink if Amelia built up a team of Aurors to help retrieve and terminate the rats, which thankfully had to be magical and not mundane, to stop the pandemic.

Now, to get the ball rolling all she needed to get the minister and head Auror to give permission to create such a team. The hard part would be getting the team to search the Weasley home as soon as possible.

Amelia had hit a snag for twenty minutes at this point. When she was about to pull chunk fulls of hair from her head in frustration, and not a little desperation, she saw a picture she had taken of Susan on her birthday last year. Susan had been dancing wildly with her best friend Hannah Abbott. Amelia smiled absently at the picture mostly distracted from her frustration. Then the realization hit Amelia like a ton of bricks dropped from a ten story building. She had vetted the Abbott family before she had allowed Susan to interact with their daughter because Amelia was very aware that people would target Susan to get to her. The same thing would be true for other families with children.

If the children of ministry employees became infected it wouldn't be very long before the parents would bring it back into the ministry, and as the disease was harmful to muggles they would need to make sure ministry personnel who worked regularly with muggles were not infected. It helped that Arthur Weasley was known for his Muggle fascination carrying over to his work. She had lost count of the complaints she had gotten over the years from obliviators who had to

forcefully apparate Weasley away from the muggle area after he had finished taking care of the improperly charmed muggle objects.

Nodding to herself reassured that Pettigrew would soon be in custody, Amelia gathered the case file before sending out memos to Fudge and the head of the Auror department Rufus Scrimgeour asking them to meet her in her office in the next thirty minutes. Fudge was surprisingly the first one to arrive, but he was almost directly followed by Scrimgeour who arrived a minute later.

"Amelia, your memo said you needed to meet with us urgently. What has happened?" Fudge asked nervously. Scrimgeour said nothing, but sat down and listened intently.

"Minister, three days ago unspeakable Mccain and Noel raided the pureblood house of Morgan. While collecting evidence, a magical rat carrying a mild strain of magical Scarlet Fever escaped. I need the authorization to create a team of Aurors to search for magical rats carrying the strain." Amelia began, however, Scrimgeour interrupted before she could continue. "Amelia! Do you have any idea how many magical rats there are in Britain? The Aurors assigned would be working the case for the rest of their lives, and would have to pass the case on to the next generation as the case would never end with how fast rats reproduce."

"If you would let me finish," Amelia started back up in a chilly tone while glaring at the man, "The team I am asking for would be sent on a precautionary search of highly populated magical areas, such as the ministry, St. Mungo's, and Diagon Alley. I would also think it prudent to send the Aurors to the home of ministry officials who deal with muggles on a regular basis. Meaning obliviator's, and especially the department of the misuse of muggle artifacts as Arthur Weasley, while good at his job, tends to stick around Muggle areas a little too long and could easily infect unsuspecting Muggles. Our jobs are hard enough without dealing with sick muggles." Scrimgeour calmed down significantly when he realized that Amelia wasn't asking for a team of Aurors to hunt down every magical rat in Britton.

Amelia had stopped glaring when she saw Scrimgeour relax and continued in a voice no longer rigid, "Once we have confirmed a magical rat is carrying the strain I don't want to leave the rat to continue spreading the disease. I think it would be prudent to terminate any rats found to be a carrier of the disease. While I doubt we will catch all of them we will slow the spread down, and perhaps keep the strain in check if we conduct searches every few months while keeping an eye on the population to make sure the strain hasn't surfaced. However, there is a catch."

Both the Minister and Scrimgeour sighed why was there always a catch? "Amelia," Fudge began in a weary tone, "Is this catch going to harm the ministry in any way?"

"No," Amelia instantly stated before hastily explaining, "The way to identify if a rat is exposed is by casting an animagus identifier at the rat in question. The rat will register as an animagus as the strain is of human origin."

Scrimgeour's face contorted in confusion, "I don't understand." he admitted quietly.

"The charm to identify an animagus is similar to Homenum Revelio. As you know Homenum Revelio identifies a human presence in the area. The charm to identify a wizard animagus works in the same way. The only difference is between the two charms is one identifies a human wizard presence inside an animal body and the other identifies human wizard presence in the surrounding area. As I stated previously the Aurors will need to use this charm to identify the rats carrying the Scarlet Fever strain is due to the fact the strain is human in nature. Therefore, the team of Auror's are going to have to stun the rats so that we can make sure that the rat we are terminating is not in fact human."

"Very well, Amelia I am will have all the correct documents authorizing the use of a small Auror on your desk within the hour. Hopefully, when this gets out Skeeter won't vilify us due to your precautionary actions. Rufus while I am completing the paperwork please put together a competent team and come back here so you and Amelia can debrief them." Fudge stated before getting to his feet and placed the ugly green bowler hat he had been playing with throughout the meeting back on his head before he exited the office.

Rufus stuck around to ask for a few suggestions about who should be on the team, but he too was soon out leaving her office behind.

Five minutes after Rufus had left her office Amelia put a few well-chosen wards around her office door and broke down. She knew things were not finished yet, Sirius wasn't free yet, but she couldn't stop herself from breaking down in relief.

May 03, 1990 10:45 a.m.

Harry Potter Peverell Gryffindor and Tonks were descending the stairs outside the bank when Harry remembered he hadn't given a copy of the folder he had dropped on Bonebreakers desk earlier that day.

"Mister Tonks, I believe you should review folder I gave to Bonebreaker as well. Can I stop by your office sometime in the next hour and drop off a copy?"

Ted shook his head while continuing down the stairs. "I do not want to risk the chance of anyone getting their hands on that file."

Harry just smirked at the man before replying, "You don't think I would leave that much evidence unprotected, do you? Should anyone get their hands on the file I give you it will look like a stack of papers about cauldron thickness regulation laws."

Ted Tonks shot the Potter's child a sharp look. There was no way the boy was his physical age. The boy knew too much and was too mature to be a ten year old. Not only that, but Ted had seen the boy display magic far out of a child's grasp. Even if a child was able to figure out how to use their magic wandlessly the results would be erratic due to their magical core being unstable. The fact that his family Lord rings accepted him as well was another clue. Ted was itching to ask the boy about how he had done it, how did one travel back in time and join with their younger self? Maybe one day he would ask. "Very well, I must admit that I have been itching to sift through that folder myself." He accented before asking, "Do you know where my firm is located?" Harry nodded, impressed the man had remembered to not address him by name throughout the exchange. "Very well, I will see you soon."

However, when Ted arrived in his office nearly fifteen minutes later and sat down on his desk he found an oddly thick folder similar to the one the young lord he was working with had given to Bonebreaker earlier that morning. On the manilla folder was a sticky note.

'Mister Tonks,

I hope this information on tax law helps you organize your current case. I have no doubt it will be boring if informative.'

Ted snorted and gave a moment to appreciate the precautions Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor went through to keep things he didn't want the world to know secret before he eagerly opened the folder and began to read. Three hours later he had a splitting headache and an upset stomach. He would sort through the information they could use to nail Dumbledore to the floor tomorrow. Now he needed to go home, eat something, and get some rest.

May 03, 1990 2:00 p.m.

Harry took a deep breath and let it out slowly to keep a reign on his emotions and magic as he dropped another potions book to the table in front of him. He still hadn't found a potions book to help him identify the potions that Dumbledore and the Weasley's had used on him in the future. Harry knew that the portions he was dosed with were undetectable when scanned with magic because after the war he had routinely checked his food and drinks.

Well, maybe the potions could be detected. Dumbledore and the Weasley's had always had access to his food and drinks, and Dumbledore could have easily charmed his dishes to give back negative readings when he or someone else checked for potions. Hermione would have taken over charming his dishes once Dumbledore died.

The day he had found out was Hermione was apart of the faction dosing him with potions was a harsh slap in the face. That day came mere months after he was chained irrevocably to the ginger haired money thieving whore when he had felt a spasm of horror. If the Weasley family and Dumbledore were controlling him with potions perhaps Hermione was being controlled as well. After all, Hermione had always had the most influence over him as she was his best friend. He realized just how wrong he was when he had tried to convince her to go to St. Mungos to be tested.

She had laughed before speaking in her nerve grating patronizing tone, "Harry, Dumbledore didn't dose you with potions to control you. The potions he gave you help you. Harry, you had Voldemort in your head for most of your life, and without the potions Dumbledore gave you, you would have gone dark. He bonded you to Ginny for the same reason. You needed a light family to anchor you on the lights side. When he died we made sure to continue your potions regime because Dumbledore warned us that it wouldn't be long after the potions cleared your system that you would fall into darkness. Harry, we aren't controlling you, we are helping you. However, I can see you don't believe me when I promise you that we are helping you so… OBLIVIATE!" Her spell hadn't worked but Harry made sure to keep that fact from her. Harry had proceeded to curse himself for years after for forgetting Hermione's worship of Dumbledore while contemplating her levels of insanity. Hermione's parents had made obviously made very grievous errors raising her, of that he was sure.

Harry would make multiple antidotes for every potion that could be used to control a person as a precaution. However, he couldn't be sure any of the antidotes would work as he still didn't know what he had been dosed with. Taking in a house elf who would handle anything he consumed was probably a smart move to make as a fail safe. Harry just hoped the preemptive measures wouldn't be needed, but he would rather be as prepared as possible in case Dumbledore managed to find a way out of being locked up in prison.

'Maybe instead of prison, they could get him locked up in a psych ward in St. Mungo's.' Harry thought in amusement. That would be the ultimate insult to the great Albus Dumbledore. However, Harry knew that he would be just as dangerous locked up in a mental ward as he was out on the streets. Dumbledore was a master manipulator and would soon see himself free while plotting a way to get back in everyone's good graces. Granted he would be plotting in prison as well, but he couldn't get out as easily as he could get out of a psych unit.

As soon as Dumbledore was distracted with saving his reputation Harry would need to hunt down all of Voldemort's Horcruxes and destroy them. The surest way Dumbledore could regain his former status would be to defeat another Dark Lord. Everyone would be so focused on him saving them once more that anything bad said against him would be sneered at. So Dumbledore would either go after Voldemort or force Harry to become a dark lord, maybe he would do both. Harry would ensure Dumbledore was unable to pursue any of these avenues.

So Harry grabbed the books he had piled around him on the table and reshelved them before leaving the magical portion of the London Library and headed back to Diagon Alley. He needed to pick up potion ingredients and a house elf. Harry was just about to enter a herbology shop that sold fresh potions ingredients. When he felt the unmistakable feeling of two sets of claws find purchase on his shoulder. Harry recognized the unmistakable feeling as an owl landing on his person. He turned his head expecting to see one of the Gringotts owls and instead saw Hedwig.

His revery invoked upon seeing his beloved familiar was interrupted when something black collided with him sharply. The black something turned out to be none other than Severus Snape. Snape continued on without looking at Harry while he snarled, "Idiot parents can't even teach their spawn to not linger in doorways." Everyone was so focused on Snape and his bad mood that they didn't notice Harry quickly drying his overflowing eyes.

"Hey girl, it's good to see you," Harry whispered to his beloved owl once he found his voice. Hedwig nipped his ear in affection and settled herself more firmly on his shoulder. Harry then vowed that he would never cage his familiar again before he continued into the store.

May 03, 1990 4:00 p.m.

Rita Skeeter and Bonebreaker had just finished going through the contents of the folder Potter had left on Bonebreakers

desk this morning. Rita certainly wouldn't run out of Muze anytime soon that was for sure. However, the two had to make sure that the public believed Skeeter's future articles on Dumbledore were not just wild half truth fantasy Skeeter had thought up before they ran an article about the slippery bastard. Rita sent the finished article she and Bonebreaker had worked on for three hours to her editor at the Daily Profit. Both were sure the article would assure the public that for the next three months Rita would only publish well researched non-embellished articles about Dumbledore to pay off a debt she had owed the goblins.


	7. Rita's Change Of Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

May 04, 1990 7:30 a.m.

Severus Snape looked around the hall at the students with disdain. The whole of Gryffindor was loud and rowdy as usual, the know it all Ravenclaw's had their noses stuck in a variety of books, Hufflepuff was thankfully quiet even if he could see a few of them crying over something or other, and his snakes seemed to be behaving much to his reluctant surprise. Usually, Snape had to keep an eye and ear out for trouble with his prized students. If any other teacher caught one of them misbehaving Snape usually had to intervene. Snape may act like he favored his snakes, but once he had the troublemaker behind closed doors it was a very different story. Through the years he had managed to change the behavior of most of his snakes. Snape had used his position as their head of house to show them the proper way to be a snake. He taught most of them that killing and terrorizing people was no way to achieve power, but winning the loyalty of those around you was. Most of them took to his lessons like a fish to water and left the superiority their parents had taught them behind. Therefore, over the last few years, Slytherin's reputation had slowly but surely changed. Still, Slytherin's were widely untrusted and one wrong move from one of his snakes would set them all back. Most of the students in Slytherin knew this by now and kept the ones who hadn't progressed past their parent's lessons in line.

Snape's musing was interrupted by post owls swarming into the great hall with this mornings mail. His black owl Charcoal was soon dropping this morning's Daily Prophet he picked it up and began to read.

Making A Change by Rita Skeeter.

My loyal readers,

As most of you know I am not the most honest of writers. I, like many of my fellow journalist, are passionate about writing eye catching and exciting articles. Therefore, over the years I have left more and more truth out of my writing and instead have based my articles around hearsay and rumors to pursue this passion. My writing has slowly but surely gone from a respectable reporter of the Daily Profit to a gossip rag fictioneer who has no place writing for a paper renowned for uncovering the truth to the public.

Now, most of you might be wondering about my change of heart as I would be too if I was in your shoes. Therefore I shall reveal all. Yesterday, I was caught spying in a Gringotts private rooms by the head goblin accountant Bonebreaker. Bonebreaker gave me two choices. I could either be handed over to the ministry and charged with trespassing, or I could enter into a three-month work contract. Well, the choice wasn't hard for me to make. I took Bonebreaker's generous option of paying off my crime through work contract. The work contract I entered binds me to write well researched and non-embellished articles. Apparently, even the Goblins are tired of my works of fiction.

At first, I figured I had gotten off without really being punished until I started to write. I found whenever I tried to add bits of gossip or misleading facts that my hand wouldn't move. After this happened three times in a row in the span of two minutes I was hit with the realization that I had lost all my respect as a journalist. I found couldn't even write one article without trying to add my own bits of fiction and outright lies. Then I realized I couldn't remember the last time I wrote a respectable well-researched article.

My dear readers these realizations were a slap in the face. I knew my writing style had gone on too long for any of my readers to believe anything I write. I want this to change. My dream was always to be the most respected journalist of the age. While I wonder how I had lost sight of that dream so easily, I know I still have a chance to achieve my dream. Therefore I taking initiative to change my ways, and offer this solemn vow to you, my readers. I will from this point on only offer up articles to the public that are well researched, non-embellished, and free of fiction.

I am also apologizing to the Daily Profit readers and my employers for my poor journalism of the past. I will endeavor to redeem myself by not straying from my new writing philosophy after the three-month contract I am under has ended.

Vowing to be better,

Rita Skeeter

Snape read the article twice while wondering what Skeeter had up her sleeve. Skeeter had been under similar contracts in the past and had simply disappeared for a short while before coming back into the limelight as if nothing had happened. Skeeter didn't do that this time which made Snape think she had struck gold. The article also implied that the dirt Skeeter had gotten her hands on didn't need to be embellished as the truth would be more devastating than any lie she could put together. However, to make sure the full impact of her articles hit home to the Daily Profit readers she needed them to think she had turned from her gossip mongering ways. Snape found he was looking forward to reading Skeeters future work for the first time in nearly eight years.

May 04, 1990 7:15 a.m.

Harry was just sitting down to breakfast his new house elf Fauna had prepared for him when Hedwig arrived with the Daily Profit clutched in her talons. He managed to restrain himself from snatching the paper up and analyzing whether or not the article would make the public believe that Skeeters future articles about Dumbledore were believed. Instead, Harry focused on finishing his breakfast as to not upset his new house elf. Fauna had just recently been freed from a bad home, and she would punish herself severely if Harry displayed any signs of being disappointed with her work. Ignoring his breakfast in favor of the Daily Profit would be seen as a failure to Fauna. Harry had, of course, ordered her not to punish herself physically as soon as she was legally his, therefore she had taken to punishing herself magically when she felt she had failed in her given tasks.

Maybe he should order Fauna to not punish herself in any way until she had talked to Harry whenever she felt she had disobeyed him. That would allow Harry to talk her down and reassure her that Harry was pleased with her work and she hadn't failed in her given tasks.

Once his breakfast was finished he picked up the Daily Profit and handed Hedwig bacon absently as he read Rita's article. The Slytherin's and former Slytherin's would suspect there was more going on behind the scenes, but nearly everyone else would be taken in by Skeeter's change of heart. Therefore Slytherin's and their alumni would believe Skeeter's articles first. Hufflepuffs would be the second to believe the oncoming articles as they were soft hearted, and Rita's tale of redemption would speak to them. Ravenclaw would fall in behind the Puffs and Slyths when they researched the validity of the first article and found Rita was presenting actual facts and not half-truths covered in drivel. Gryffindor house would stay stubborn in their belief that Dumbledore could do no wrong all the way up to the point where the Aurors arrested the bastard for his crimes. However, while they would begin to believe Skeeter was, in fact, telling the truth about the man it wouldn't hit home with them until Dumbledore proved to be indeed guilty of everything Skeeter wrote about over the next few weeks.

All in all, Harry was very pleased. He dropped the paper down on the table and got up. Once Harry had stretched he called out for Fauna. She popped into existence at once and asked, "What can Fauna do for you Master?"

"I am going to be busy brewing potions throughout the day. Can you come get me at noon so that I can eat lunch?" Harry asked the female elf. Fauna nodded somewhat tearfully, she was nowhere near used to being asked instead of ordered. Harry smiled at her before saying, "Thank you," before he quickly left the room. While he had escaped the awkward moment when Fauna burst into tears over having such a wonderful master he still managed to hear it through the tent walls.

The tent in question had three rooms, a living room, a dining room, and a nice-sized kitchen on the inside. The outside had a pool and jacuzzi hooked to a nice sized patio. Harry had bought the tent shortly after leaving Gringotts on the second of May not wanting to stay on one of his properties because Dumbledore knew where they all were. Therefore, he had picked up the tent and apparated to the campsite he, Ron, and Hermione were caught by snatchers during the year they were hunting Horcruxes.

Once Harry had set up camp here, and warded his tent as thoroughly as he could manage, he began to feel truly safe for the first time in decades. No one would connect Harry Potter to this spot, and the wards would prevent anyone tracking him from finding him. Even if Dumbledore tried finding him using his Phoenix Fawkes thanks to the repelling ward an unspeakable created just two years before Harry died. Harry suspected the unspeakable was a Slytherin who was not pleased that Dumbledore and those like him could escape or break into places with the bird's help. The ward itself both trapped phoenixes inside the barriers of the wards while simultaneously keeping the birds from entering the dome as well. Harry was appreciative to the spell creator no matter their reasons for creating such a ward as it helped him prevent Dumbledore from finding him.

Half an hour into brewing the antidotes Harry was exceedingly glad he felt safe in his new environment when he realized just how difficult it was to brew some of these antidotes.

May 04, 1990 11:00 a.m.

Amelia Bones had to stop herself from casting as many painful curses as possible at the team of Aurors she and Scrimgeour had put together yesterday. The team had just come into her office after spending the last three hours manual searching for magical rats residing within the ministry headquarters to report the astonishing fact that the ministry building was free of the rodent infestation. The team began to get nervous when Amelia began to take control deep breaths after giving her their report.

"I am honestly considering firing you all for the stupidity you have just displayed. Accio is a fourth-year spell at Hogwarts. Did it not occur to you to summon the rats inside the building into the quarantined room we set up just yesterday instead of looking manually? How often do you see rats roaming about inside the ministry that you thought searching for them manually would work?" Amelia snapped at the now red faced Aurors. "Now I suggest you leave my office, go to the quarantine room we set up that has the added advantage of keeping the rats that enter from escaping and summon the rodents into the room. Do not come back to my office until you have checked every single rodent you have managed to summon into the room. Am I clear?" The Aurors all nodded and fled the room sure if they stuck around one moment longer Amelia would fire them. With the rate things were going Rita's articles would be well underway when the team managed to find Pettigrew. Amelia was both relieved and grieved over this fact. She was relieved because once Pettigrew had been revealed Skeeter's articles would help her convince the minister the need to question the man in front of the witenagemot, and grieved because the longer the process took the longer her beloved suffered in Azkaban.


	8. Who Is Albus Dumbledore?

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Who Is Albus Dumbledore?

By Rita Skeeter

Wizards and witches of Great Britain who is Albus Dumbledore? Most of you would respond, "Albus Dumbledore is a great man!" Who could argue when faced with the man's achievements? While Albus Dumbledore is most noticeably recognized for his defeat of the Dark Lord Grindelwald when he was sixty-four he is also known for his famed partnership with the famed alchemist Nicolas Flamel and finding the ten most common uses for dragon's blood. However, while Albus Dumbledore's achievements have been well documented over the years, his life beyond those achievements have not. For example, what led the great Albus Dumbledore to be Grindelwald's greatest enemy? With a little research in the birthplace of Albus Dumbledore, Godric's Hallow, one would find the answer.

The early years of Albus Dumbledore's life were bliss. His mother Kendra and his father Percival showed all the love in the world to Albus and his younger siblings Aberforth and Ariana. However, tragedy managed to tear the family apart just before Albus entered Hogwarts. Three Muggle boys attacked eight-year-old Ariana Dumbledore while she was playing at the park near the Dumbledore's home in Godric's Hallow when she couldn't teach them how to perform magic.

Percival Dumbledore was quite rightly enraged, but did the unforgivable and pursued his own revenge. Percival tracked down the three boys then proceeded to torture and kill them. His actions landed him in a cell in Azkaban where he spent the rest of his life.

Albus had then gone off to Hogwarts not long after his father was sentenced to Azkaban and was immediately ostracized for being the child of a known Muggle killer. However, Albus managed to overcome his father's actions by thriving in school. By the time Aberforth had arrived at Hogwarts most of the students no longer associated the name Dumbledore with hate crimes, and he was spared from ridicule Albus had undergone.

Ariana Dumbledore never attended Hogwarts, and in fact if not for her grave most wouldn't even know she had existed. It appears, that after the boys attacked Ariana was hidden away from public view. Curiosity sprung up like wild fire when the townspeople noticed the boisterous little Dumbledore no longer accompanied her mother into town. Whenever someone in town questioned the late Kendra Dumbledore about her daughter's absence the woman would simply say, "Ariana is too sick to leave the house right now." This had raised red flags in the small community of Godric's Hallow, as Ariana had always been known to be the wildest of the Dumbledore lot. However, all worries were put to rest after Kendra's good friend Bathilda Bagshot informed them that Ariana was still alive after she had visited the Dumbledore house one afternoon.

Shortly before Albus finished his Hogwarts education he and his brother Aberforth were called home. Their mother Kendra had been found dead on the family's living room floor by Bathilda Bagshot. The first action Albus Dumbledore took as head of the house of Dumbledore was to stop any investigation of his mother's death from taking place. With Kendra dead Albus was now responsible for his younger brother and sister. Albus was far from pleased as he had planned on taking the traditional year long sabbatical with his best friend Elphias Doge which he could no longer attend as he was now solely responsible for his younger siblings.

In his teenage angst, Albus Dumbledore began to spend as much time as possible out of the house leaving his brother Aberforth to take care of their younger sister. It was on one of his excursions out of the house where Albus met one Gellert Grindelwald who had come to stay with his aunt Bathilda Bagshot after he had been expelled from the wizarding school Durmstrang.

To be continued.

May 05, 1990 7:15 a.m.

Snape read the article and proceeded to reread it twice reeling from the shock that Dumbledore had siblings. He then began to question why the family didn't just take the female Dumbledore to see a healer instead of locking her away. The girl had to be traumatized from such an attack. Then he wondered if the girl had anything to do with the mother's death, but as the headmaster had stopped any investigation from taking place the only ones who would rightly know where the man himself and his brother Aberforth. Snape then smacked himself mentally for not seeing the family resemblance between the Hogs Head barman and the headmaster. He was a spy for crying out loud he needed to notice things others didn't. He wasn't too busy berating himself to miss the great halls reaction. His snakes were anticipating Skeeter's next article to see what she would reveal next. The Puffs hadn't yet made the connection that Dumbledore hadn't simply recognized the evil in Grindelwald and chased him out of Britain while chattering excitedly about learning more about their hero. Most of Ravenclaw had excused themselves to the library in search of the library's collection of news articles. Now the Gryffindor table was already defending their great hero's actions. Snape could already hear repeated lines of, "Anyone in Dumbledore's place would have reacted the same way."

Then Snape remembered that Dumbledore wouldn't be receiving any mail until tomorrow night long after Skeeters next article hit the papers and failed at keeping the smirk off his face as he imagined the old man's reaction. Severus Snape dearly wished the bastard got what was coming to him. Over the years Dumbledore had shown his true colors more and more to Snape's observant eyes. The man had obviously forgotten that Snape didn't swear an unbreakable vow to serve the old man but to protect Lily's child to the best of his abilities. However, Snape was very aware that if Dumbledore fell so would he. Severus needed to take action now to prevent being dragged down with the old man.

May 05, 1990 11:30 p.m.

No one in the village of Little Hangleton noticed a small boy with glasses and messy black hair suddenly appear in the town graveyard located just outside the town's borders. Clouds had obscured the setting sun and by the time night had truly fallen the world outside Little Hangleton was an inky black obscuring the world just ten feet from the last lamppost situated around the town's borders keeping the boy from view. The boy Harry Potter was thankful for the darkness keeping himself and his actions away from the noisy people in town. Harry made his way through the graveyard and stood in front of Tom Riddle seniors grave. He placed a thick pot at the base of the headstone before summoning the remains of the man from the ground and directed them into the pot. Harry then pulled out another pot with the remains of several road kills he had named Tom Riddle Senior. Soon the remains of Tom Riddle Senior had replaced Voldemort's father remains. Harry Felt sick for desecrating the man's grave, but he couldn't allow Voldemort to resurrect himself again.

Picking up the stolen remains Harry disapparated landing just outside the Gaunt Shack. Three hours later and exhausted Harry Potter left the Gaunt Shack with a tiny ugly stone and a blackened circle hunk of what might have been metal. The inside of the shack had been expanded to hold a maze. The maze was full of inferior, ghouls, and nasty enchantment that aimed to kill anyone inside. Harry had managed to get through the maze without being injured, but it was exhausting work. He wanted nothing more than to go back to his tent and rest, but he needed to take care of the remains he had desecrated first. So he picked up the pot with Tom Riddle Seniors remains and disapparated to the coast. Harry apologized to the man for his crime before he tilted the pot into the sea.

Another crack of apparition and Harry was back at his tent. The agonizing guilt coupled with the horror found inside the Gaunt Shack had Harry breaking down with emotions he could no longer control. Hours later when the outburst had stopped Fauna exited the tent to find her master passed out on the ground with puffy red eyes. The elf knew her master was unwell. Keeping his emotions locked up was making him sick. Fauna just hoped he realized he was sick soon so he could still be helped. She was a good elf and soon had her master moved to his bed and tucked in.


	9. Phase Two Begins

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Albus Dumbledore Best Friend and Lover Of Gellert Grindelwald!

By Rita Skeeter

Albus Dumbledore met Gellert Grindelwald on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow in June 1898 on one of Albus' excursions away from his family. Gellert Grindelwald was raging against his situation in very loud tones, in other words, he was throwing a temper tantrum. Albus took offense and soon witnesses say the boys began to duel like school children in the middle of the streets. Spells from both Grindelwald's and Dumbledore's wands were harmful and all witnesses fled as a cutting curse hit a tree that began falling in their direction, however, several hours later the two were seen entering Godric's Hollow arm in arm laughing together like they had been friends for years. Bathilda Bagshot began to worry immediately and warned Albus that her nephew was not the type of man he wanted around his family. Her nephew was power hungry and had no conscience when it came to getting what he wanted. Albus ignored her warnings.

Over the summer the villagers watched as the boys grew closer and closer until two weeks into August of 1898 they were reportedly seen kissing in an abandoned side alley. Most of the villagers were relieved thinking both the boys had curbed their dark tendencies by finding love with one another. However, a week later Ariana Dumbledore died and Gellert Grindelwald fled leaving everyone in Godric's Hallow outside of the Dumbledore family confused and suspicious. The suspicion only grew worse when villagers witnessed Aberforth Dumbledore break Albus' nose at their sister's funeral after Aberforth accused Albus' of killing their sister. However as neither boy would talk about the events leading up to their sister's death, the incident was soon forgotten to leave the mystery unsolved.

When interviewed yesterday Aberforth said, "I'd have looked after her, I told him so, I didn't care about school, I'd have stayed home and done it. He told me I had to finish my education and he'd take over from my mother. Bit of a comedown for Mr. Brilliant, there's no prizes for looking after your half-mad sister, stopping her blowing up the house every other day. But he did alright for a few weeks… Till he came. Grindelwald. And at last, my brother had an equal to talk to, someone just as bright and talented as he was. And looking after Ariana took a backseat then. While they were hatching all their plans for a new wizarding order, and looking for Hallows, and whatever else it was they were so interested in. Grand plans for the benefit of all wizardkind, and if one young girl got neglected, what did that matter, when Albus was working for the greater good? But after a few weeks of it I'd had enough, I had. It was nearly time for me to go back to Hogwarts, so I told 'em, both of 'em face-to-face, like I am to you, now.I told him, you'd better give it up now. You can't move her, she's in no fit state, you can't take her with you, wherever it is you're planning to go, when you're making your clever speeches, trying to whip yourselves up a following. He didn't like that. Grindelwald didn't like that at all. He got angry. He told me what a stupid little boy I was, trying to stand in the way of him and my brilliant brother...Didn't I understand, my poor sister wouldn't have to be hidden once they'd changed the world and led the wizards out of hiding, and taught the Muggles their place?And there was an argument… and I pulled out my wand, and he pulled out his. And I had the Cruciatus curse used on my by my brothers best friend - and Albus was trying to stop him, and then all three of us were dueling, and the flashing lights and the bangs set her off, she couldn't stand it and I think she wanted to help, but she didn't really know what she was doing, and I don't know which of us did it, it could have been any of us -and she was dead (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by Jk Rowling pg. 565, 566, 577)."

Was Dumbledore really planning on taking over both worlds with Grindelwald? Did he plan on them both being

our leaders? I asked in astonishment. Aberforth nodded somberly still caught up in the no doubt still painful memory of his beloved sister's death. When asked what was wrong with Ariana, Aberforth told us that Ariana was autistic. Ariana wouldn't have gone to Hogwarts even if she hadn't been attacked because she wouldn't be able to study and understand magic in her condition. The boy's attack made Ariana afraid of the outside world and magic while locking her in a continuous nightmare. Therefore Kendra Dumbledore didn't lock her daughter up but looked after her daughter's well being as well as she could.

The only puzzling if scary thought I am left with is Albus Dumbledore's continued use of his favorite phrase "For the greater good." Wasn't he planning things that were for the greater good with the Dark Lord Grindelwald? Are his plans for the greater good the same as when he was working with Grindelwald? Has Albus Dumbledore merely used a different tactic in taking over the world? From my vantage point, Dumbledore's power over our world is now very concerning and more than a little frightening.

Just who is Albus Dumbledore? The humble hero or a hidden conqueror?

May 06, 1990 7:25 a.m.

The Hogwarts great hall was silent. Nearly everyone was in shock after having read Rita's latest article. Minerva McGonagall broke the silence with a thud as she fell to the floor in a dead faint. Poppy Pomfrey was soon rushing over trying to revive the middle aged woman. However, when several Gryffindor's began to faint as well Poppy sighed and called for the help of the hospital wings house elf Marcy. Marcy soon had the fainted students and Minerva transported to the hospital wing where they would be given a heavy dose or doses of calming drought.

Poppy stopped next to Snape on the way out of the great hall. "Severus, I know you are busy, but I have a feeling I am going to be running out of calming droughts quickly. Could you please spend the day brewing more?" Poppy asked in a tired voice already resigned to the fact that her hospital wing was going to be very busy over the coming week. She doubted Rita was done with her revelations and the fallout was sure to be magnificently awful for most of Gryffindor house. Already the half of Gryffindor who didn't faint were beginning to rage about what a bitch Skeeter was for spreading such disgusting lies.

The Ravenclaw's had begun organizing a trip to the Hogs Head Bar next weekend during their Hogsmeade trip next weekend. The head boy that year Tyler Higgs was organizing a list of questions everyone wanted to be answered. None of the Claw's seemed to doubt the truth of Rita's article. Apparently their research yesterday had proved Rita really was beginning to report the truth and deduced she had no reason to begin lying again now.

Those sitting at the Hufflepuff table were starting to look green as they were asking themselves the same questions Skeeter had brought up at the end of her article. Cedric Diggory was the first to throw up his breakfast as he realized just how much power Dumbledore held joined with the recent revelations about the man's life.

However, Hufflepuff wasn't the only ones becoming sick. Slytherin's were also feeling ill as they realized that a Gryffindor had beaten them at their own game. The last of the Slytherin's who needed a reason to spurn their parent's teachings and accept their heads view on how to work your way to power had gotten one. Dumbledore had, after all, set himself up as king without anyone the wiser without killing or torturing anyone.

Filius Flitwick, who took over as headmaster when both Minerva and Albus were unavailable was thanking the stars that today was a Sunday as none of the students would be able to focus long enough for lessons throughout the day. This also meant he and the rest of the staff wouldn't be scrambling to cover for Minerva while she recovered from her world view being torn apart.

May 06 8:45 a.m.

Amelia Bones couldn't concentrate on anything this morning. The team of Aurors tasked to finding magical rat carriers of the magical Scarlet Fever a.k.a. Finding Peter Pettigrew had gone through the ministry, Saint Mungo's, and had finished up Diagon Alley just last evening around seven thirty. Now the team was on their way to the Weasley home. Once the team had cleared the home and captured all the magical rats in the surrounding area and one Peter Pettigrew, not that they knew they were capturing Pettigrew, they were to come back report their findings before moving on to the next designated area on the list. However, they were due back nearly half an hour ago and Amelia was beyond being able to pretend to be working.

Nearly half an hour later her office door received three sharp knocks before it was hastily thrown open. "Amelia!" Scrimgeour yelled into her office. "You need to go to the quarantine room we set up. You won't believe who our team of Aurors found hiding in the Weasley home. I don't have time to explain, I need to get the minister and his toad, I mean his undersecretary."

Amelia would have been amused by the slip any other time, but now she needed to make sure she got to Pettigrew first so the Minister didn't do something idiotic. She rushed out of her office and was in front of the rat examination room she and Marcel, the head of magical architect, had set up not even a week prior in record time. Amelia knocked in the correct pattern and soon the door was opened and she was ushered inside. Only two of the original team of seven were present in the room, and they both looked as if they were restraining themselves from killing the man magically and physically bound to a chair in the center of the room. When Amelia caught the eye of Roxanne Dover she instantly understood. Pettigrew had fought back and killed before he was captured.

"Roxanne, were any of the Weasley's harmed?" Amelia started. Roxanne nodded, "The youngest boy Ronaldo or Ronald was hit with a cutting curse. He is in Saint Mungo's as we speak but he should make a full recovery. However, the bastard killed Rowl, Davis, Jacobs, and Runken." Amelia nodded once and then turned her sharp eyes on the fat balding man strapped to the chair. Pettigrew instantly began whimpering like the coward he was. While Amelia now had definite cause to question Pettigrew under veritaserum she felt more than a twinge of regret that it came with the death of four Aurors. Then Scrimgeour, Fudge, and the toad entered the room.

"Auror Dover, what had happened? Who is that man?" Fudge demanded at once.

Amelia stated "Minister, that man is Peter Pettigrew." before Roxanne had even opened her mouth to speak. The rest of the occupants of the room paused for a moment and examined the man in front of them. Pettigrew had instantly tried to cover his face the moment he was identified by Amelia.

Fudge recognized him despite his attempts and started to splutter, "How… Don't understand… Black-" The moment Fudge had spluttered Black, Pettigrew wet himself. Suspicion grew in everyone's eyes immediately after.

"Roxanne, report," Scrimgeour demanded in a dangerous tone.

"Our team left the ministry at half-past seven this morning. Our destination was the Weasley home. Our team was to check for any magical rat's carrying the Scarlet Fever bug. At eight a.m. we had a quarantined area sectioned off where the team would summon the magical rats in the vicinity and the Weasley family permission to inspect their home and pet as said pet was a rat. However, Margaret Weasley informed us the pet rat was at school with her third child Percival. A quick floo call later had the boy and his rat in the house. When our team member Rowl raised his wand to stun the pet all hell broke loose. The so-called pet turned into this man, now identified as Peter Pettigrew, and began firing off the killing curse along with other harmful curses. Rowl was the first to fall when he was hit with a killing curse in the chest. Davis fell next taking most of a cutting curse aimed at the youngest Weasley boy. However, the remainder of the curse caught the boy in the abdomen. As Jacobs was apperating the child and his family away a knife Pettigrew threw hit him at the base of his skull. I am told he was dead by the time the family had arrived in Saint Mungo's. Pettigrew at this point was dodging my spells along with Gillespy's while steadily making his way to the door. Runken who had been outside keeping the quarantined space operational heard the commotion and was making his way inside. Runken had just opened the door as Pettigrew went to grab the handle. Pettigrew then pulled another knife from his person and slit Runken's neck. Runken's murder took long enough for two stunners me and Gillespy cast to collide with Pettigrew's back. I used the Weasley floo to bring the stunned man back here for questioning while Gillespy called for backup to process the scene." Roxanne reported. Amelia felt her respect for the girl grow when she realized the girl didn't once lose herself in grief and anger once during her report. Roxanne Dover was a fine Auror.

"Minister, I can not help but find many missing holes in this whole affair. Pettigrew was supposed to be killed by Black a decade ago. Why would he continue to hide once he knew Black was in Azkaban? Not only that, but why would he immediately kill any Auror who tried capturing him in his animagus form that no one knew about? Things just aren't adding up here." Scrimgeour spoke up while Amelia was assessing Dover's.

The toad spoke up next, "Minister, can you imagine what Skeeter will do to us if she finds out we might have wrongfully imprisoned a pureblood heir?"

Amelia could have hugged the ugly toad just then. However, as soon as she thought about hugging that thing she shuddered. The minister who had been watching Amelia and saw her look at Delores then shudder as he was convinced that questioning Pettigrew would be in everyone's best interest. After all, Skeeter would jump at the smallest chance that the ministry had imprisoned a pureblood heir wrongfully, and after this mornings paper he was beyond grateful her sight was currently focused on Dumbledore and not on the ministry. "Amelia set a court date for Pettigrew and bring everything we have on record for Sirius Black's trial." Fudge figured if the ministry had imprisoned Black wrongfully they could find some way to keep the public from turning on them. Which they surely would do if Fudge tried sweeping this under the rug like he normally would. He was just thanking his lucky stars that at least he wasn't the minister when Black was imprisoned, therefore he could not be blamed if Black was proven to be innocent.

Amelia managed to restrain herself and simply said, "I will have everything completed within the hour minister." During that hour she would spend the first thirty minutes rejoicing, and the second thirty minutes sending out notices to the Wizengamot members. Then she would proceed to the Minister's office with the grave news that Sirius Black had never received a trial. No one noticed a black beetle fleeing the scene.

May 05, 1990 9:30 a.m.

Rita Skeeter briskly walked into Gringotts stopping every few feet to answer a question a witch or wizard through at her as she walked up to a teller. The teller had soon summoned Brokeback and the two quickly left the main hall for Brokebacks office. Inside the office, Ted Tonks and a drained looking Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor sat anxiously in chairs situated in front of the goblin's desk.

"Has Pettigrew been captured and scheduled for trial?" Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor asked. Skeeter nodded and the room relaxed.

"Well then, it's time to move one to phase two." Ted Tonks announced with a vindictive gleam in his eyes. Dumbledore's days of power were coming to an end.

May 05, 1990 8:45 p.m.

Albus Dumbledore was sincerely grateful the international confederation meeting that took place every year for two weeks in may was finally over. While he normally enjoyed these meetings as he could gloat to himself privately nonstop for two weeks at the amount of power he had attained, this year near the end of the two-week span he began to feel a sense of foreboding. The foreshadowed feelings over the last five days ruined his gloating time, and he was bored senseless as his attention was focused on the meeting instead of his accomplishments.

As Albus was making his way past the anti-apparition wards his attention was caught by Igor Karkaroff waiting just outside the wards. Karkaroff had been bullied into spying for Dumbledore once he was released from Azkaban. Karkaroff was nearly as skilled at talking without really saying anything as Albus was, therefore, Dumbledore was delayed on his trip home for several hours and was too tired to read two weeks worth of Daily Profit articles before going to bed. In the morning he would regret not catching up on events when the students in the great hall looked at him in fear, anger, and desperation.


	10. Dumbledore The Dark Lord

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Dumbledore's Downfall

May 06, 1990 7:30 a.m.

 _Albus Dumbledore's Manipulation of Great Britain_

 _By Rita Skeeter_

 _Albus Dumbledore the great defeater of Dark Lords, or, Albus Dumbledore the sneakiest Dark Lord?_

 _Great Britain, just yesterday it was revealed that Dumbledore was not only friends with the Dark Lord Grindelwald, but he was his lover as well. Now, most would think that after Albus had watched his lover Grindelwald use the Cruciatus curse on his younger brother, which spawned a fight leading to Ariana's untimely death, that his and Grindelwald's relationship would be severed forever. However, the majority would be wrong. On page five you will find hotel and restaurant receipts as well as the title to a house in both Albus Dumbledore's name and the Dark Lord Grindelwald's! The house in question was purchased just three years after Ariana's death in 1901. The house and receipts are not the most shocking find, however. No, the most shocking find is the bonding certificate the two men registered on March 1, 1904._

 _The question now is: How did Albus Dumbledore go from being happily bonded to Grindelwald, to being Grindelwald's greatest adversary?_

 _The answer: He didn't._

 _Market Brown, Grindelwald's first confirmed follower, when interviewed said, "The pair of them had a great laugh. They would stage fights gathering the attention of the wizarding world around them. Gaining increasing loyalty to the same cause under the guise of a different name. Both of them reveled in the power and attention they were gathering. I used to sit off to the side and think 'The pair of them will be unstoppable.' However, near the end of the war Albus became increasingly distant. When Gellert's followers began to be arrested left and right I knew Albus had betrayed us all. Nearly three days before I was arrested I found out what had happened. Albus had drugged Gellert on the night of their anniversary, not their bonding anniversary but the anniversary of the day they met, and imprisoned Gellert in Nomenguard, the wizarding prison the two had built together. When I was placed in a cell not far down the hall, my world was filled with the echo's of agonizing sobs of a broken bond."_

 _If only that had been the end of Albus Dumbledore's manipulation_.

A nearly collective page turning filled the silent great hall as the students and staff turned to page five of the Daily Profit. There, on page five, was photographic evidence giving no false hope to the most devout Dumbledore possy. Most of page five was taken over with a photo of the bonding certificate with shiny gold script announcing that Gellert Grindelwald and Albus Dumbledore were bonded for life on March 1, 1904. Directly beneath the photograph of the bonding certificate was a photo of the deed to the house where both mens names shared ownership of the house in question. The Gryffindors had mostly gone either white as freshly fallen snow or as green as the Slytherin hangings high above the tables. Ravenclaw's Head Boy Higgs began using the cutting charm around the article and photos intending on making a monument in the Ravenclaw tower, hoping to warn future generations to be wary of those with too much power.

Hufflepuffs were crying. They were the first of the lot to realize just how bad things were. Dumbledore had been in charge for nearly forty-five years now. Anyone power hungry enough to break a life bond was sure to have messed their world up in ways they couldn't even begin to comprehend.

The Slytherin's would be the next ones to realize the awful truths the Hufflepuffs had just assimilated after reading the next day's paper. However, at the moment they just sneered at the crying Duffers while trying to figure out how Dumbledore had pulled off the greatest coup in history. If they found out how Dumbledore managed his rein of power, perhaps they could replicate the deed. After, and only After they had figured out where Dumbledore had gone wrong of course. Dumbledore's days of power were ending, and what kind of Slytherin's would they be if they let themselves fall the same way the bloody Gryffindor had?

May 06, 1990 8:40 a.m.

Dumbledore strolled merrily into the great hall just as breakfast was ending. His bright fuchsia robes would have normally caused the Slytherins and Hufflepuffs to snicker, and Dumbledore usually would have noticed the absence of the sound, and if fact the absence of all sound in the great hall if he wasn't currently trying to unstick two lemon drops from a paper bag he carried with him everywhere. Dumbledore took great satisfaction in sitting in his throne once more and decided to forgo separating his favorite treat and plopped both of the lemony goodnesses into his mouth. He then looked to the Gryffindor table ready to smile happily as his favorite students waved at him and cheered at having him back. However, when his gaze landed on the table all of the lions dropped their betrayed gazes and quickly began fleeing the hall. Nearly all of the tables instantly followed his lion's example. However, Hufflepuff seemed to have left earlier as he couldn't see any yellow mixed in with the fleeing students.

Puzzled by his students reactions he turned to engage one of his minions, or er _colleagues_ , in a interrogation, _discussion,_ only to find his minio- _colleagues_ following the student's example. Dumbledore looked at the watch on his left wrist and conceded that classes were due to start in five minutes, therefore the students and his minions- _colleagues_ weren't actually fleeing, but going to attend class. However, he found it odd that Minerva didn't stay behind and update him like she usually did after he came back from the duty's that took him away from the school. No matter, no matter, he now had plenty of time to catch up on the two weeks worth of Daily Profit's he'd missed.

Dumbledore always read his papers in chronological order, that is from the first missed to the last missed, therefore it was just after the lunch bell chimed that Dumbledore caught sight of Rita Skeeters first article broadcasting his dirty laundry to all of Great Britain. Just before the students entered the great hall to eat their lunch Dumbledore's temper exploded. His magic, filled with killing intent, reached the students and the teachers just outside the heavy wooden doors.

Snape cast a silencing ward around the doors and ordered, "Everyone please proceed to your house common areas. Your head of house will join you there shortly. Until we say otherwise you are not to leave your common rooms. There were no protest from his fellow colleagues or the students. Not even half an hour later the Gryffindor students watched as a fuming Albus Dumbledore marched out of the ancient castle headed straight for Hogsmeade. As soon as he left the castle grounds the wards closed behind him. Albus Dumbledore was no longer the Headmaster of Hogwarts. However, the man was to enraged to notice his dismissal.

Minerva felt the wards shifting, trying to settle on her shoulders. The last few days had been quite the wake up call for Minerva and she knew she wasn't up for being the headmistress of this illustrious school. The magic of the wards studied her before leaving the aged witch in search of Severus Snape. Snape was judged harshly. His past crimes were weighed against his atonement. In the end the Hogwarts wards settled around the man elated at being able to choose a Headmaster for the first time in nearly three hundred years. The ancient school would once again have a headmaster that put the wellbeing of the students first.

May 06, 1990 9:00 a.m.

Harry sat in an uncomfortable waiting room chair in St. Mungo's hospital. Fauna had nearly cut her hand off when she found him scowling at the brochure she had left on his night stand the night before shortly after he had woken up this morning. Harry had just managed to save her hand and heal the damage she had inflicted upon herself. Once Harry had finished healing Fauna he sat her down and had a long talk with her. After quite a few outbreaks of sobs and reassurances they both made some headway. Fauna had convinced Harry to see a mind healer, and Harry had gotten Fauna to swear that she wouldn't punish herself without talking the situation through with Harry.

Harry had then eaten breakfast, read the Daily Profit, and showered before he made the trek to St. Mungo's. That had been nearly forty five minutes ago. Honestly, if Harry hadn't made a promise to Fauna he would have been out the door after fifteen minutes of waiting.

Ten minutes later his waiting was interrupted when a man dressed in a blue St. Mungo's uniform called his name and led him into a surprisingly comfortable room. "Mr. Potter, I am Healor Price. Can you tell me why you are visiting today?"

Harry looked the healor up and down. He nodded and asked sharply, "Everything I say is absolutely confidential?" while Healor Price a sharp look. The man held his ground and simply nodded. However, Harry wasn't going to spill everything over a simple nod. Healor Price noticed and smiled a bit ruefully. He pulled out his wand and Harry was behind a piece of the sparse furniture the room held moments later. Price's eyes had gone wide, and before Harry started attacking or decide to run the man spoke, "I Healor Antonin Price do hear by swear to keep anything and everything Harry James Peverell Gryffindor reveals to me in this session and in any session in the future."

Once the flash of magic cleared from both the rooms occupants eyes, Harry reseated himself on the couch and began again, "Well I should start by saying I am not really ten years old…"

Harry had soon revealed his story to Healer Price. The healer earned extra brownie points when he didn't automatically declare Harry insane. Instead he spent half an hour writing in his notes before he addressed his new patient.

"Okay, let me start off by saying I believe you. Since that is out of the way here's how I'm going to help you…"

When Harry left nearly two hours later, he was sure he was getting a migraine from information overload. Healer Price had gone over his treatment plan and gave him three new 'wonderful' exercises to practice. Harry had apparently pushed down his emotions instead of feeling them. So, starting today, when he began to feel his emotions he was to stop what he was doing and take slow deep breaths. After failing this exercise five times in a row Harry was close to blowing another fuze.

Personal progress definitely wasn't going to be as smooth as his current legal work that was for sure.

May 06, 1990 Noon

Amelia Bones slipped the last emergency wizengamot notice into the ministry envelope just as the grandfather clock in her office rang out the noon hour. She had been addressing each of the envelopes and packing them for delivery for nearly three hours. Her arms and back had become stiff and sore throughout the process. Glad she was free from the task at last, and joyful Sirius was one step closer to being free, Amelia stood and stretched. She would mail the envelopes on the way out of the ministry and head home and have lunch with Susan. Susan and Amelia had very little time together over the last few days, and it pained Amelia to be away from her niece for so long. However, a question kept plaguing her throughout the day. ' _What if Susan and Sirius don't get along?'_

Amelia had tried pushing the question aside, but every time the question popped into her mind another bout of panic would rush through her system. Making her heart race and her breath become elusive. Susan and Sirius would have to get along, there just wasn't any other option. Sirius would be living with them as soon as he was free, there would be no compromise. Susan would just have to deal, after all, in time the girl would come to understand that her aunt NEEDED Sirius Black with her. She didn't even ponder what Sirius might want, which in turn was probably a mistake. However, Amelia was sure that she and the others would be instantly forgiven in light of the work she had done to free her beloved. Never once did it cross her mind that Sirius could be and was very hurt no one doubted him for the crimes he was accused.

May 06, 1990 2:00 p.m.

Ted Tonks had finished compiling all the evidence from the book the young lord had given him on Dumbledore. While most of the book could only be used to tear the old man's character and reputation apart, there was still plenty of illegal evidence to help him make the upcoming case. In fact, if Ted wanted there was enough evidence in here for Ted to make several cases against Dumbledore if he pleased.

The fact that Ted once revered the man now sickened him. While going over the evidence Ted had lost his stomach contents nearly seven times. Good lord, how had the man blinded everyone so thoroughly? The wizarding population in Britain had let the man essentially rule for nearly fifty years, and the majority of them had never questioned the man for any of his actions. Great Britain's wizarding population had been so blinded they had viewed all of Dumbledore's actions to be righteous.

The only bright side Ted was now finding in his life was his wife. Andromeda was a wonderful woman, and for years they had had many arguments where Dumbledore was concerned. While Ted had followed the man blindly, his wife had always been cautious of the man. She had often voiced worries over Dumbledore's actions over the years, and Ted had stoutly ignored all of her worries. Good lord, Ted had tried to console her with empty platitudes of Dumbledore's actions and achievements while he had stayed firm in the belief that Dumbledore could do no wrong. Ted was thankful Dromeda loved him despite his obvious flaws. His wonderful wife had given up so much in her life to be with Ted, now it was Ted's turn to sacrifice his pride and start listening to his wife and her concerns. After all, his wife was one smart cookie, it was time Ted remembered that.


	11. The Dark Lord Dumbledore Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

The Dark Lord Dumbledore Part 02

 _Dumbledore's Manipulation of Great Britain Continued_

 _By Rita Skeeter_

 _Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin (first class), Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot._

 _Another title often associated: Albus Dumbledore, the only person He Who Must Not Be Named feared. However, how was that title earned? An anonymous source dropped off a juicy folder to the goblins yesterday. Inside the folder was the complete documentation of one Tom Marvolo Riddle. To those Ravenclaws talented in anagrams please don't spoil this article for your fellow witches and wizards._

 _Mr. Riddle grew up in a poor run down orphanage on the outskirts of London. Being a rather powerful wizard in the midst of a rather large group of muggle orphans ensured an unhappy childhood for the boy. The children often called him a freak, and the Matron Mrs. Cole agreed. Mrs. Cole not only agreed, but she was also under the impression young Riddle was possessed by a horde of demons. There are close to two dozen documented exorcisms Mrs. Cole had forced on the boy before he had even turned five. The Matron and the other children had also sabotaged any chance of adoption for the young man._

 _Angry, and with no role model, the young Riddle began to use his magic to get even with his tormentors. When Dumbledore arrived at the orphanage with Riddle's acceptance letter to Hogwarts, the boy latched onto the man. After all, Dumbledore had just arrived with proof that Riddle was neither a freak, nor was he a demon. However, several Slytherin's in Riddles year and above noticed that Dumbledore sent the boy wary looks as soon as he was led into the great hall to be sorted. His placement in Slytherin simply increased the intensity of the looks. They also insisted as Riddles power and influence grew over the years, the worse the looks Dumbledore sent him became._

 _When Riddle entered his sixth year many of his fellow Slytherin's reported a great change of character. Lord Knott reported, "I was at a loss. Tom's temper had always been mild after he had an emotional break down in the middle of first year. However, the Tom Riddle who entered our sixth year with us was always filled with a barely suppressed rage. My calm and collected friend was replaced by an angry mess. As there was a war tearing apart not just Magical London, but the Muggle London as well, most of us assumed Tom was subjected to some type of horror that scarred his psyche when he was forced back into the attested orphanage that summer. So I asked a muggleborn Ravenclaw year mate if I could have their summer news papers. My search revealed nothing that would cause such a significant change in my once best friend. When I think back on it now the only thing that really stands out as unusual with the situation was the change in the looks Dumbledore sent my friend. Dumbledore stopped looking at Tom as if he was the route of all evil. Instead the man shot faintly amused and smug looks at our fellow Slytherin that creeped the entirety of my house out, myself included."_

 _Lord Knott couldn't find the reason for the change in Tom Riddle's psyche because the change wasn't rooted in any horror he had endure over the summer holidays. No, Tom Riddle's change in psyche was caused by three very illegal potions of which the Daily Profit will not name. (On page 6 readers of the Daily profit will find documented proof of use of these potions on Tom Riddle submitted by Poppy Pomfrey. )_

 _The potion regime Tom Riddle was under work similarly to love potions. The victims of said potions are completely unaware they are being dosed with an illegal substance. The potions in question control the mind of the victim. Once a victim has been dosed they will be unaware of their drastic changes of mood and behavior. However, Tom Riddle still managed to figure out things weren't quite right with his person. Halfway through September of his sixth year Tom Riddle sought out Madam Pomfrey._

 _The potions Tom Riddle were subjected to are not illegal because they can control a person's mind. The potions are illegal because they cause a permanent shift of the victim's psyche. Therefore, dousing anyone with any of the three illegal potions Tom Riddle was doused with is considered a first count of murder. The young man Lord Knott had grown up with for nearly five years had been erased forever. The reason Tom Riddle's tale is important? You wonderful Ravenclaws can reveal the secret of the anagram. For those who don't have a talented Ravenclaw on hand here is your answer._

 _Tom Marvolo Riddle_

 _I am Lord Voldemort_

 _How does Tom Riddle's change in psyche to that of the most feared Dark Lord tie in with Dumbledore? Well if one were to turn to page six they would quickly find out._

May 07, 1990 7:30 a.m.

Most of the Gryffindor students sat pale and stiff as they gazed down at page six. Most of them didn't even know their world view of Dumbledore could get any lower. However, finding out that their beloved hero had created the most evil Dark Lord to date had certainly ripped away any and all good feeling they still had for the once esteemed headmaster quietly wriggling in the back of their minds. No one cried at their table anymore, they were just too shocked.

Ravenclaws were becoming envious of the Gringotts Goblin who had uncovered Dumbledore's wrong doings, because that goblin had some serious research skills. Most of their house had been trying to dig up the information Rita Skeeter was so freely handing out, trying to get ahead of her articles to find out all the juicy details. Every one of them had come up empty of any new information.

Hufflepuff and Slytherin house seemed to be on the same wave link. Both tables knew Dumbledore wasn't a good man, therefore none of the students were surprised by Skeeter's latest Dumbledore crime bomb. Neither table blamed the Dark Lord for fearing Dumbledore as they were now deathly afraid of the man as well. That man had no boundaries.

May 07, 1990 7:00 a.m.

Dumbledore couldn't remember the last time he had been so furious. He had just barely finished reading the shrew's articles before he was storming out of his castle toward Hogsmeade. After he reminded his brother why it was a bad idea to cross the Great Albus Dumbledore, he had stormed over the the Daily Profit headquarters. His intention was to storm into the building straight to the office of the idiot who ran the horrid gossip rag, yet was infuriated once more to be stopped by an Auror just inside the doors. Dumbledore was sure he could have manipulated _talked_ his way into the bastards office if the Auror in question wasn't a former Slytherin. Slytherin or not Dumbledore had yet to realize that his days of manipulating people to follow his demands were over.

Thirty minutes later Dumbledore stormed from the building in a similar rage he had entered the building with having been forced to leave least he be arrested and fined for trespassing. Diagon Alley shoppers witnessed the man storm straight toward Ted Tonks, Iron Law, solicitor firm. Most of the shoppers who had witnessed Dumbledore's rage as he stormed down the street had all but fled the alley as soon as the door shut behind the man. Therefore, very few people who weren't shop owners in Diagon Alley were witnesses to Dumbledore being ejected from the law firms doors just fifteen minutes after the aged man entered destroying everything around him not protected by wards in a ten foot diameter.

May 07, 1990 7:45 a.m.

Ted Tonks held his ground as he felt an intense dangerous aura enter his office. As his eyes made contact with an enraged Dumbledore's, Ted instantly strengthened his occlumency shields.

"I want to sue the Daily Profit and put that vile Rita Skeeter in prison!" Dumbledore spat not even keeping up the pretence of a genial old man.

Ted took a deep breath, and reminded himself to stay calm and collected. "Dumbledore, last month you and several other purebloods passed a law giving the right to all journalist within Great Britain to publish any news they thought the public needed to know."

The temperature in the room dropped as Dumbledore started leaking malicious intent. However, when the man spoke again the genial old man tone was almost intact once more."Ted, that law has many clauses. For instance, if a reporter like Rita Skeeter were to find hints of insanity in a figure head such as Harry Potter she could publish any article embellishing that hint to the public, after all the article would be based on a nugget of truth. Yet, the law does not allow Skeeter to report outright lies with no foundation. Therefore, under the law she couldn't legally for example, publish an article proclaiming young Harry to be the reincarnation of Merlin. Skeeter and the Daily Profit are, in fact, breaking the law in regards to my person as they are publishing out right lies."

Ted Tonks looked down at his desk and pulled several sheets from a tiny manilla envelope. He studied them intently making it seem as if he was thinking over the old man's words. In the span of thirty seconds Dumbledore's aura had calmed almost completely. Once Ted had felt nearly all of the man's magic recede he looked back at the man.

"Dumbledore," Ted addressed the man again. "Once Skeeter started publishing a change in articles regarding your person, I intently started studying the same law you have just brought up, and you are absolutely correct." Ted paused and Dumbledore began smiling like a man who held a winning lottery ticket. "However, I have also researched her current articles claims. Ms. Skeeter has published no out right lies, only articles based on truth. Ms. Skeeter's articles are completely legal and the law you passed last month makes it impossible for you to sue the woman for slander."

For years Dumbledore had been the king of magical Britain. He had manipulated and used all of his citizens, and if a few rampant slaves spoke up about misgivings and hurt feelings what did it matter? After all most of the population was under the impression that he, the Great Albus Dumbledore, was the embodiment of light. The last forty years had been wonderful to Dumbledore with no threat of man's dark secrets reaching the ears of anyone he couldn't easily take out. However, someone had found his carefully hidden past misdeeds without him knowing and proceeded to hand them out like candy to the press.

As his pathetic excuse for a brother hadn't even known most of the secrets Skeeter was revealing. Dumbledore knew the leak hadn't come from him. The idiot wasn't even aware that he fancied Gellert, much less bonded with the man. Bathilda Bagshot was also out of the question as Dumbledore had broken her mind to insure the old woman never revealed his and Gellerts love affair. Every other threat had either been eliminated or imprisoned before they could spill any of his secrets to unwanted ears.

For the life of him Dumbledore couldn't comprehend how someone had found out his secrets without him knowing. Over the years he had set up too many safeguards alerting him to people sniffing around his past. Even the goblins had been kept ignorant of his misdeeds throughout the years. With the secrets Skeeter had revealed and the hinted promise of more to come Dumbledore's reign had ended.

Ted could see the truth of Dumbledore's new reality cross the man's face shortly before his temper exploded. All the rage at the loss of his kingdom, coupled with the fact that he could punish no one for the loss of his world legally, unleashed itself attacking the world around him in a ten meter radius. Ted was very thankful the wards in his office had booted Dumbledore out seconds before he lost it as he watched the scene from the windows.

May 07, 1990 8:00 a.m.

Snape had yet to sleep since Hogwart's had made him her Headmaster. Dumbledore had been lining his pockets for years making the school appear destitute. Not only could they buy new brooms for the school, but Snape could also hire ten new teachers and still have money left over. The wards had informed him where the curse on the D.A.D.A position was located and Snape put the removal of the curse on the top of his to do list that was beginning to expand the length of nearly four feet in length. The removal of both Bin's and Filch had also been placed within the top ten slots.

Dumbledore had really been running this school into the ground. Removing classes, pocketing funds, hiring pathetic excuses of teachers, the list went on and on. Snape had no idea just how long he had been working when he felt Albus trying to re-enter the school. Snape didn't worry about the old man getting through the wards as he had spent nearly four hours repairing the wards last night. There was a reason Hogwarts was considered one of the safest places to be inside Britain. Now having to deal with the mess the old man had left behind, Snape took great pleasure in ignoring the man's attempts to re-enter the castle.

May 07, 1990 8:15 a.m.

Amelia Bones cleared her throat catching her fellow wizengamot members attention. "Fifteen minutes have passed since the appointed session was scheduled to begin and still our Chief Warlock has not arrived. In accordance to Wizengamot rules and regulations, former Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore has forfeited his position as of May 07, 1990. I, Amelia Bones, would like to take this time to nominate Augusta Longbottom for the now vacant position. Does anyone second my nomination?"

Armando Dippet, and to everyone's surprise Lucius Malfoy seconded Amelia's nomination. Both the light and dark parties within the Wizengamot followed the examples of their unofficial leaders. Ten minutes later Lady Longbottom was sworn into the position and she began the emergency session once more. "Ladies and gentlemen of the wizengamot, let us begin the trial of Peter Anthony Pettigrew. Peter Anthony Pettigrew was awarded an Order of Merlin (Second Class) after he was blown up along with twelve muggles by Heir Lord Sirius Black. However, on May 05, 1990 Peter Anthony Pettigrew was found to be alive residing in the third Weasley child, Percival, possession while he was posing as the child's pet rat. Peter Anthony Pettigrew proceeded to kill four Aurors to elude capture. His capture and evasive actions inspire many worrisome questions. Bring in Pettigrew please."

The wizengamot watched as a sobbing Pettigrew was dragged into the chambers. More than a few of the members sighed in relief when they notice the magical suppressors on the man's wrist and ankles. Pettigrew wouldn't be escaping via his animagus for. Once Pettigrew was restrained to the chair in the middle of the room Lady Longbottom addressed the man. "Peter Anthony Pettigrew, you are accused of four counts of murder. How do you plead?" Pettigrew only sobbed.

Therefore Lady Longbottom repeated herself, "Peter Anthony Pettigrew, you are accused of four counts of murder. How do you plead?" Ten minutes later the only answer the wizengamot received was the sounds of Pettigrew's continued sobs.

Lady Longbottom sighed and turned her attention to the wizengamot. "Peter Anthony Pettigrew has refused to plead either guilty or not guilty within ten minutes after the charges against him were repeated for the second time. Therefore, under Merlin's third law, Peter Anthony Pettigrew has revoked all rights to answer questions freely. Auror Dover, please administer the maximum dose of Veritaserum."


	12. Sirius Is As Good As Free

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

May 07, 1990 8:30 a.m.

Lady Longbottom sighed and turned her attention to the wizengamot. "Peter Anthony Pettigrew has refused to plead either guilty or not guilty within ten minutes after the charges against him were repeated for the second time. Therefore, under Merlin's third law, Peter Anthony Pettigrew has revoked all rights to answer questions freely. Auror Dover, please administer the maximum dose of Veritaserum."

As Roxanne Dover had recently lost four of her fellow comrades to the bastard, she took great pleasure in squeezing Pettigrew's jaw open and forcing the maximum dose down the rat's throat. Seconds later Pettigrew's eyes glazed over and he stopped sobbing while relaxing into the chair that imprisoned him. Auror Dover backed up and nodded to Lady Longbottom. Seeing the nod the Chiefess of the Wizengamot started again.

"What is your full name, birthday, and shoe size?"

Pettigrew answered in a dazed voice, "Peter Anthony Pettigrew, January seventh, 1960, six and a half."

For the record, Lady Longbottom stated, "The dose of Veritaserum administered at 8:30 a.m. on May 07, 1990 to Peter Anthony Pettigrew has proven to be made correctly. The three standard questions asked were answered truthfully, and the accused body language mirror's the side effects of Veritaserum." before she started questioning the rat. "Peter Anthony Pettigrew, you are charged with four counts of murder. Do you believe yourself to be guilty or not guilty?"

Usually, guilty parties try and fight the Veritaserum at this point trying to reply that they believe they are not guilty. So, the wizengamot was surprised when Pettigrew stayed calm, if dazed while replying, "Not-guilty."

"Very well," Lady Longbottom paused wondering how to continue. Roxanne Dover and Giles Gillespy had both given testimonies and memories to be viewed with a pensive, however viewing those memories and hearing their testimonies would take just long enough for the Veritaserum to wear off. As you couldn't administer more than one dose of Veritaserum per day. Lady Longbottom wasn't sure how to proceed. Her thoughts were interrupted when Umbitch Umbridge did her annoying hemming thing. "Chiefess Warlock, wouldn't it be prudent to ask the accused why he feels he is not guilty at this time?" Madame Bones and Lady Longbottom both agreed the toad was somewhat bearable when her attention was focused on actual scum and not muggle-borns and werewolves.

Lady Longbottom just nodded before addressing Pettigrew, "Peter Anthony Pettigrew can you tell those of us on the Wizengamot why you do not feel yourself to be guilty of the murders of Aurors Jeremiah Jacobs, Lucas Rowl, Matthias Runken, and Carl Davis?"

Pettigrew seemed to be fighting the truth serum but was forced to answer all the same, "I didn't murder them, I was only defending myself."

His answer took nearly everyone in the Wizengamot by surprise and Lady Longbottom asked, somewhat incredulously, "Why did you feel the need to defend yourself against the seven Auror's sent to the Weasley home?"

"Because I heard Giles Gillespy talking to Percy Weasley when he floo called to request his and my presence at the Burrow. He was reassuring the boy that they were just checking me over to make sure I wasn't a strain carrier. When he told the boy how he was going to check for the strain I knew I was going to be revealed, I panicked." Pettigrew whimpered piteously.

Lady Longbottom paused wanting to phrase the next question correctly, "Disregarding the fact you have been in the continual presence of an underage wizard for the last nine years, and being an illegal animagus, what reason would cause you enough panic to take such extreme actions against being revealed to the public at large? After all, due to your actions on November 5, 1981, you were awarded an Order of Merlin (Second Class.)"

Pettigrew began to really struggle to no avail. Even though he was biting his lips and tongue it only took seconds for him to start answering again. "Because I knew if I was captured everyone would question why I faked my death in the first place. They would also question the events leading up to my supposed death."

"I see, and why did you, Peter Anthony Pettigrew, fake your death on November 5, 1981, when Sirius Black attacked you and twelve others on the outskirts of London just two blocks from your apartment?" Lady Longbottom asked.

Cornelius Fudge, Dorkus Umbitch Dolores Umbridge, and several other wizengamot leaned forward. By this point, nearly everyone was on the edge of their seats wondering if their suspicions were correct. Amelia Bones also leaned forward and tried not to tap her feet in anticipation. The rat was finally going to reveal her Sirius' innocence.

"Because I had just framed him for both the attack on the street and betraying the Potter's to the Dark Lord," Pettigrew whispered defeated.

Chaos irrupted in the chamber. While most of the members had put two and two together to make four they hadn't added any more variables and were struck dumb by Pettigrew's confession that heir Black wasn't the one to betray the Potter's to the Dark Lord. A tear of relief slipped down Amelia Bones cheek unnoticed in the chaos around her. One thing was clear to not only her but to every member of the wizengamot, Sirius Black wouldn't be imprisoned in Azkaban much longer.

It took nearly half an hour for the members of the wizengamot to calm down and Lady Longbottom to be heard once more. "Peter Anthony Pettigrew has proclaimed that he is not guilty of murdering four Aurors as his actions were in self-defense. We have heard his testimony, during which he has revealed knowledge which brings another fifteen murders into question. Therefore, the courts will adjourn for two weeks while Aurors gather evidence. However, I think it prudent that Sirius Black be removed from Azkaban and brought to a ministry holding cell."

May 07, 1990 10:00 a.m.

Amelia Bones entered Gringotts and made her way into a side room she was becoming rather familiar with. The room already held Lord Potter Peverell Gryffindor, Ted Tonks, and Bonebreaker. All three were facing the door she had opened without knocking. The light in her eyes and the glamour charm around her no doubt red eyes made everyone in the room relax. The door was closed and Amelia was opening her mouth when the young lord put a finger to his lips. A wave of magic washed over the room destroying any listening spells placed around the room. Once the room was cleared of spying charms Harry nodded and motioned for Amelia to begin again.

"Sirius is being removed from Azkaban and relocated to a Ministry holding cell. The rats trial will continue on May 16 at 8:00 a.m." she rushed out in an excited breathy tone.

Harry nodded and said, "I have hired a mind healer for Sirius once he is released. His illegal animagus form helps him keep most of his sanity, but I have no doubt he will need to see the healer daily for a period of time. I am also still deciding on a private healer to stay in the apartment I have set up for him while he recovers from his stay in Azkaban."

Ted Tonks and Bonebreaker nodded glad someone had thought far enough passed Blacks release to arrange such necessities, however, his appreciation was short lived when Amelia scowled and snapped, "What do you mean the place you set up for Sirius? Sirius is going to be living with me when he is released! I'll consent to both healers, but if you think I'm letting him live away from me you've got another thing coming." She then turned around and stormed out of the office.

Harry watched her go before turning to the others, "I know she is convinced Sirius will want to live with her, but I know better. For at least six months or so he will need to be either in a desert or tropical island setting. She may love the man, but she isn't thinking about him right now."

Ted and Bonebreaker just nodded in agreement.

May 07, 1990 8:00 p.m.

Albus Dumbledore had once again regained his composure and had just flooed into the ministry atrium. As he strolled to the elevators he wondered why the wizengamot meeting was scheduled so late. Amelia probably took into account his position as headmaster and was accommodating him. However, after the trip down and three flights of stairs later, Albus entered the specified courtroom only to find it empty. Finding this strange Dumbledore pulled out the emergency summons.

Chief Warlock Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore,

You are hereby summoned to courtroom eleven on the seventh of May at 8:00 a.m.

 **8:00 a.m**.

8:00 a.m.

 _8:00 a.m._

Dumbledore read the summons seven times and still, the damned thing said the same thing. Albus was twelve hours late to a wizengamot meeting. Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore, The Leader of the Light, Defeater of Dark Lord Grindelwald, Supreme Mugwump, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was no longer Chief Warlock. The pictures around the grates outside the elevators swear they could hear the snap of the strings that held Dumbledore's sanity together as the old man received a memo informing him of his lost position while the aged wizard was waiting for a lift to descend to level six once more.


	13. A Worthy Man and A Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

May 07, 1990 10:00 p.m. Azkaban Prison

Jace Keller hated his life. Instead of being a police officer or even an Auror, he was stuck as head of security in one of the worst places on Earth: Azkaban. Why? Well, the answer was simple Jace Keller was a muggle-born. He had given up his dream of being a police officer when he turned eleven and found out he was a wizard. Nearly four years later Jace thought he had found a suitable alternative to being a police officer. Jace Keller's new dream was to be an Auror. After all, he was a wizard, therefore, he couldn't be just a regular old police officer. No, he, Jace Keller was a wizard, therefore, he needed to be an Auror instead. Jace Keller had been certain he was going to join the Auror force all the way up until the time he applied.

An Auror from the Knott family was the one in charge of taking applications. Ten minutes of watching Knott trash any and all applications from his fellow muggle-borns, Jace Keller had swallowed the lump in his throat and turned around without even turning in his application. It was just lucky that Jace had worked his ass off to get outstanding in all of the core classes at Hogwarts along with the ancient runes and Arithmancy electives. He was sure his grades would help him get a job somewhere in the wizarding world.

Jace had applied periodically for every open position available in the months following that fateful day, however, only the purebloods from his class were hired for the positions until a dementor attack in Azkaban Prison left ten positions inside the prison available. Knowing he would be beyond destitute if he didn't have a job by the end of the month and in debt not long after Keller applied. Unfortunately, he was hired right away. The idiot in charge Gillson didn't even look at his application before telling Jace he was hired. The bitter seed that had grown steadily over the last few months suddenly sprouted. He hadn't worked his ass off in school for this shit.

Ten years had passed since his first day on the job. Jace had been steadily promoted over the years and the pay had helped put him through school in the muggle world. He was now close to graduating from Oxford. His parents were exceedingly proud. When he was honest with himself Jace was also exceedingly proud of himself as well. Jace knew that once he had his degree in his hand he would quit this awful job and never look back. Jace Keller was finally achieving his dream and he wasn't going to let the inbred assholes hold him back any longer.

His well-earned self-gratification was interrupted when the wards around the official Auror entrance went off. Jace was just making his way from his office in the upper levels of this foul place to the Portkey landing point when a silver cat Patronus passed him and rounded the corner. The message receiver could have only been four feet from the corner edge because Jace had barely stepped forward once more after his slight pause at the sight of the Patronus when he heard Auror Knott's voice address, McKnight.

"McKnight, that idiot Jameson and I are here to bring Black to a Ministry holding cell. Pettigrew was caught and that means Black's innocence will soon be public knowledge. Take care of him before we get there." Knotts sneering voice instructed McKnight from the message Patronus.

Jace had always despised McKnight and had always suspected him of him sabatashing cases using dementors. After all, it was awfully convenient when the dementors suddenly decided to go, rogue, right before a prisoner was going to be released back to the ministry in light of new evidence. And of course, it was just a coincidence that the victims were often a threat or annoyances to pureblood who had been Imperiused by He Who Must Not Be Named. The fact that McKnight was around for each and every one of those so-called rogue attacks was all the proof Jace needed to be convinced that McKnight was guilty of all the previous rogue attacks and was on his way to commit another. Therefore, Jace used his position to reach Black's cell before McKnight. Jace would be damned if he let McKnight get away with another murder. He succeeded in beating McKnight to the cell and was standing defensively in front of the cell door when McKnight rounded the corner, three Dementors in toe.

"What are you doing here Keller?" McKnight sneered.

Jace didn't falter, merely stood prouder as he replied, "I am protecting an innocent man from you, Knott, and the three dementors behind you."

Mcknight shot a curse off faster than Jace could blink. Jace, who had been training to be a police officer over the last ten years deftly dodged and shot off a curse of his own. They dueled for nearly five minutes when one of Jace's curses hit Mcknight. McKnight was petrified and fell to the floor face first. Jace hoped McKnight's nose had broken his fall. Without McKnight there to control them, the three dementors swooped and went to attack Jace. However, Jace was prepared for this and as soon as he saw McKnight falling he cast a Patronus. His Patronus held until Jameson rounded the corner with Phillips. Phillips instantly shot off his own Patronus seeing his best friend surrounded by three dementors. As Jace was fatally wounded from his fight with McKnight earlier he was grateful his friend was there helping him in his last moments.

Jace knew he wasn't going to survive much longer, but he wanted to make sure McKnight didn't slither his way out of this mess. So, Jace put his wand to his temple and concentrated on pulling out his memories of each rogue dementor attack McKnight was involved in along with the memories of tonight's events and sealed them in a vial. As soon as the last memory was extracted and the vial was sealed, Jace Keller's world went dark and he slipped from this life into the next. Phillip didn't have time to notice his friend's demise as he dealt with the rogue dementors, but Jameson was.

Jameson quickly assessed the situation and put a ministry Portkey on the bodies of both McKnight and Keller before he approached Black's cell. "Mister Black," Jameson called out and paused waiting for some type of acknowledgment.

"Present," a hoarse voice called out still managing to add a bit of humor to the tone.

Jameson almost smiled and continued, "I am Auror Jameson. I am here to transport you to a ministry holding cell. Pettigrew has been found alive and your imprisonment has been called into question." Jameson almost jumped at the sound of the harsh breath Black released when he finished his statement. Therefore it took him a few moments longer to continue than it normally would. "Normally I would drag you to the bottom floor and into a boat to the mainland. Once on the mainland we would, of course, portkey to the ministry, however, I believe it would be safer to just Portkey you to a ministry cell in light of the events that happened just moments ago outside your cell. The only problem is Portkeying you through the wards in your current condition could cause various health issues, therefore, I am leaving the decision to you Mister Black."

"Jameson if your spidey senses are tingling then I would ask you to just portkey me to the ministry." Blacks hoarse voice answered.

May 07, 1990 10:37 p.m.

Jameson was just closing Black's now empty cell when a sweating Phillips rounded the corner at Knotts wand point.

"Jameson, step away from Blacks cell," Knott demanded when he registered Jameson's form through the gloom. Jameson merely stepped back ten steps. Phillips looked scandalized that Jameson was just going to let Knott have his way. Knott smirked at them both and pushed Phillips in Jameson's directions. He soon had Black's empty cell open and was making his way inside. Once Knott passed the cell's entrance Jameson shot forward and shut the door behind him. As the cells absorbed prisoners magic to fuel the wards Knott was trapped until such a time as he was released. Also, the more magic Knott used the faster his magic was drained. By the time Jameson returned with backup Knott wouldn't have any energy or magic to fight back against the arrest. Jameson almost found himself laughing at the irony that a man was going to be arrested for his crimes while imprisoned in a prison cell he would most like end back up in after his trial.

When Jameson turned around it was to find a silently crying Phillips. When Phillips felt Jameson's eyes on him he looked up and said, "I'm glad that bastard is finally getting his due... It just wasn't worth the death of my best friend." Jameson nodded his understanding and ten minutes later both men were on their way down stairs. The coming days were certainly going to be busy.

May 08, 1990 6:30 a.m. Ministry Holding Cell

Sirius Black was truly sleeping for the first time in nine years, maybe longer what with the war and all that bunk. Therefore, he was more than a little peeved that his sleep was being interrupted by a persistent pounding. Why oh why couldn't the pounding go away. Sirius' head didn't hurt so he was sure that the pounding wasn't the result of over drinking with James. So why in Merlin's saggy Y fronts was there a pounding interrupting his peaceful rapture?

Sirius Black opened his eyes and looked around. This wasn't his cell in Azkaban, so where was he? A minute later measured by knocks on the door to the cell he was in Sirius remembered the events that led him to be transferred into a ministry cell. He briefly wondered why some idiot in the ministry would knock instead of just barging in, but he humored the irritating individual who had woken him by hoarsely saying, "Just come in will yah, I'm way past the point of being annoyed by yer knocking, and you obviously aren't going away anytime soon." There was a pause before the door swung open and he gasped.

Amelia Bones had been knocking on Sirius' cell door for nearly half an hour. There was a reason she was a Hufflepuff as she lacked the courage to just barge into his cell and make him acknowledge her. She hadn't realized she was basically doing the same thing with her incessant knocking. When he finally called out to just come in Amelia took just long enough to take a deep breath and steel herself before opening the door.

However, ten minutes passed in awkward silence once the sound of Sirius' gasp faded. All Amelia could do was look at her feet and fidget. Finally, she opened her mouth to speak, what she didn't know, but just as she did Sirius spoke up. "Fancy seeing you here Bonesy."

Amelia winced he only used the nickname Bonesy when he wasn't exactly pleased with her. "Sirius, I'm… My apology probably doesn't count for anything, but I'm so, so, so, sorry Siri."

"I know," Sirius said before he paused and took a deep breath and continued. "I have no doubt I will get to the point where I will forgive you in the near future, but for a little while I'm gonna need some space to work through everything that has happened. Until that time I would like you to keep your distance."

"Are you… Are you saying that there is no future with us?" Amelia all but sobbed. None of the daydreams she had ever since Sirius' innocence was revealed to her had involved him outright rejecting her and any future they might... could have had together. Amelia was close to hysterical sobs when Sirius' arms wrapped around her shaking shoulders and pulled her close to his too thin very smelly body.

"No, Melia. I wasn't implying that I don't want a future with you once I'm released. I'm saying that you are going to have to give me at least six months to myself where I will go through therapy and work my way back into my amazing self without becoming detrimental to those around me." Sirius croaked out trying to sooth his beloved one.

Amelia had calmed down significantly while he spoke to her and was no longer crying. Instead, she was revealing being in the arms of her most beloved one once more. He might be too skinny and stinky for her liking, but after nine years of being without the feeling, it was heaven to feel his embrace once more.

May 08, 1990 9:00 a.m.

As Harry Potter Peverell Gryffindor walked down the hallway lined with Ministry holding cells with Auror Jameson he had to continuously practice his mind healers breathing instructions. He wasn't ashamed to admit that he was very nervous about seeing Sirius again. While eating breakfast Harry had repeatedly told himself that future Sirius had loved from the moment he was born, therefore, this Sirius already loved him and all that was left to manage were the little details. Sure both of them would need to work things out, but overall there was no reason to think that Sirius wouldn't love him and continue to love him.

Before Harry knew it he was standing outside the door to Sirius' cell. He could hear the croak of Sirius' voice conversing with Amelia, who had arrived earlier that morning. Jameson knocked on the door twice before opening the door to the cell and stepping inside while Harry remained in the hallway. "Good you're awake and up for company." Jameson said, while pointedly looking at Amelia who had stayed an hour longer than the time she was allotted today before he continued, "I'm sure your next guest should be just as welcome." Jameson turned to the door and called out, "Come in son."

Harry took a deep breath and stepped into the medium sized cell. When he looked up Sirius was already making his way over. As soon as Harry was in reach he pulled Harry into an impressive hug considering Sirius' current condition. Harry revealed in the human contact. It had been years since Harry had hugged someone. The feeling was almost too much and Harry was sure both he and Sirius were close to sobbing.

Harry really did start sobbing when he heard Sirius whisper, "It's weird seeing you so small Prongslet." before kissing him on the forehead. Sirius, as miraculous as it seemed, had traveled back as well. Harry hoped with every fiber of his being that this time they would both have a better crack at this thing called life.


	14. Sirius is Free!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 14

May 14, 1990 7:45 a.m. Wizengamot chambers

Lady Longbottom, Head of the Wizengamot, looked around the slowly filling chambers of the courtroom. The continuation of Peter Anthony Pettigrew's trial was due to continue in fifteen minutes. The Chiefess had noticed the stagnant world she had lived in for the last ten years was beginning to change drastically with that Skeeter woman's new lease on her career. To think that the man who had essentially ruled great Britain for the last twenty years was just as evil as the man who helped him to power made her shudder. How could she have been such a blind fool? When did she become a sheep? Agusta had always thought herself clear headed with the ability to make a good informed decision. However, after a long examination of her choices and actions after the third article Skeeter released nearly a month ago helped her realize she hadn't been clear headed for a long time. No, Albus too many names Dumbledore had clouded her mind along with her fellow citizens. The man had a way of talking without saying anything. Albus also had a way of manipulating those around him to agree with his decisions. To Augusta's own disgust she had fallen under his spell as well. She had demoted herself to sheep status in her mind. With hope, she would one day overcome her unwanted but thoroughly attained status sheep.

The Chiefess' thoughts were broken when the doors sealed themselves and a pleasant chime announced the beginning of the session. Lady Longbottom stood starting the trial of one Peter Anthony Pettigrew once more.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the wizengamot, let us commence with the trial of Peter Anthony Pettigrew once more. Peter Anthony Pettigrew, in our last session you pleaded not guilty of the murder of four Aurors claiming self-defence. However, while you were under the effects of Veritaserum you admitted to betraying the Potters to Dark Lord and framing Sirius Black for both their murders and the murder of twelve other muggles when we questioned your motives for attacking the six Arour's sent to the Weasley home. During the last two weeks, the Wizengamot has had ministry Aurors investigating these claims, however, due to the time-lapse our evidence is as good as useless." Pettigrew began to look relieved and a faint glimmer of hope sprouted in his eyes until Augusta continued. "However, you have admitted these crimes under Veritaserum, therefore the crimes you confessed under the serums power do not need any solid evidence to back those statements up. Aurors could you please retrieve Sirius Black from his cell please."

The two unnamed Auror's near the doors to the chamber left through a hidden door that led to the ministry holding cells. Three minutes passed before they came back with a bound Sirius Black between them. Another chair appeared next to Pettigrew and the Aurors sat their captive in the chair releasing him only when the chair's restraints had a hold on him. Once the Aurors were stationed near the door once more did Augusta continue.

"Sirius Black, for the last ten years you have been incarcerated for the betrayal of Lily and James Potter to the Dark Lord along with the murder of twelve Muggles and one Peter Anthony Pettigrew. As you have clearly seen Pettigrew is still alive and well. We captured him at the Weasley home after he... attacked six ministry Aurors. He was thankfully captured and put on trial to figure out why he... attacked our Aurors. Imagine our surprise when we questioned Mister Pettigrew under veritaserum and he admitted that the crimes you were thrown in prison for were, in fact, his own." Lady Longbottom paused for a moment to observe the Black Heir. He was gaunt and tired looking, but his eyes only spoke of devastating betrayal and a faint hope. The look in his eyes was all Lady Longbottom needed to believe that the prisoner bound to the chair next to Pettigrew was innocent on all counts. "We then delayed Pettigrew's trial for two weeks to gather evidence and retrieve you from prison. When the wizengamot went to get a copy of the transcripts of your trial we were once more surprised to find that there is no record of one. Therefore we ask you Heir Black, have you received a trial for your incarceration?"

Sirius cleared his throat trying to reduce the lump so that he could finally tell everyone that he was innocent damnit! "No Chief Longbottom I haven't. I was arrested on November 5, 1981, and was thrown directly into prison."

"Very well, consider this your long overdue trial. Sirius Black, you are accused of betraying the Potters to the Dark Lord Voldemort and the murder of Peter Anthony Pettigrew along with twelve other Muggles. How do you plead?" Lady Longbottom asked in her opinion pointlessly, but this trial needed to have no holes, therefore, she had to ask. One thing was for certain Lady Longbottom did not want to have any questions when it came to the freedom of one Sirius Black.

"Lady Longbottom I plead not guilty," Sirius said seriously.

Lady Longbottom nodded and asked, "Do you consent Veritaserum being used during your trial?"

"I consent to the use of Veritaserum being used during my trial Lady Longbottom."

May 14, 1990 6:00 p.m.

Harry Potter waited anxiously with Ted Tonks and Rita Skeeter in the ministry atrium for news on the trial that had been taking place since eight a.m. this morning. Sirius would, of course, be free, there was no doubt in any of their minds, but the waiting had induced stress worries. Therefore, when the ministries lift doors opened and several wizengamot members spilled out, the three of them nearly mobbed the closest one. However, the man they were questioning seemed to be in great shock and couldn't answer any of their questions much less walk in a straight line. The three abandoned the man and went after another unsuspecting member of the courts. However, just as they started in on another shocked member of the Wizengamot the lift doors opened once more spilling out Augusta Longbottom revealing a quietly happy Sirius Black his arm entangled with the arms of Amelia Bones. Both had tears streaming down their face. The quiet shock was broken when Harry sprinted toward Sirius and shouted, "Sirius you're free!"

Sirius laughed and scooped Harry into his arms the moment the boy was in reach. "Yeah pup, I'm finally free."

May 14, 1990, 7:00 p.m. Hogsmeade in the Hogs Head Bar

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore you are under arrest for withholding evidence that led to an illegal incarceration, violating the wills of Lily and James Potter, and theft. You may also have more charges brought against you when we finish sifting through all the evidence we have just been handed." Auror Pickett spoke calmly to the very drunk old man. Albus too many names Dumbledore merely blinked at him before turning green, and to Auror Pickett's disgust, threw up all over his lap. Judging by the stench the man gave off it wasn't the first time he has vomited on himself today.

Aberforth Dumbledore who had been spreading the grime around in his glasses merely shot a cleaning spell in his brother's direction before returning to his task. His brother's presence had driven away what little patronage he managed to bring in, and honestly, there wasn't enough love in him for his brother to honestly care about Albus' well-being. No Albus was just the presence in his life that created difficulties and heartache. However, Albus' was now beginning to pay the price for his actions, and Aberforth wanted to make sure he had a front row seat to this show. Which is why Aberforth had put up with his raving brother's drunken presence for the last week when the man had shown up having no place to go.

Aberforth watched his brother be restrained by Auror Pickett before watching both of them Portkey away. He hoped that he would be able to attend the long and nauseating trial Albus was sure to have in the near future. All those sheep who were just now freeing themselves from the wolf they had been following hadn't even realized the depth of deception they were about to uncover.

A.N. The next chapter will hold Sirius' trial, Pettigrew's sentence, and the beginning of Albus' trial.


	15. The Trial

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Following Blindly

By Rita Skeeter

Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore, Order of Merlin (first class), Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.

Dumbledore managed to acquire all of these powerful titles in the decade that followed his 'grand' conquer of the Dark Lord Gellert Grindelwald. The man has attained almost absolute power. Foreign nations gain their view of Britain's population through Dumbledore. The laws that govern Great Britain's magical population are passed or rejected through Dumbledore. Our next generation have been subjected to his influence nine months out of the year spanning over a period of seven years. Albus Dumbledore has set himself up as the king of Britain.

Under Dumbledore's reign of Great Britain, there have been many changes. The school rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin has increased to nearly murderous levels. Pureblood traditions have been stamped out. Muggle-borns are left ignorant of our world's foundation and its grand traditions. Magical creature laws have become so harsh that there hasn't been a non-human student attending Hogwarts since the early 1970's. However, the biggest changes can be seen by those who frequently travel.

Auror James Monroe, who tracks down criminals on the run, told the daily profit, "I am often surprised to walk into various shops around the world and see items Britain has banned over the years on the shelves of the stores. I can walk into a bookshop in France and find dozens of books on Blood Magic, Wizarding Traditions, and Pureblood Etiquette. Goblins, Vela, and Werewolves can legally attain jobs, and can not be rejected for a position for their non-human status. Muggle-borns are located at birth and sent off to primary schools where they can learn more about the world to which they belong. At these schools, they learn Wizarding Traditions, History, and Etiquette. I often find the students from these countries far ahead of the students who go to Hogwarts because the foreign schools don't have to integrate ignorant muggle-borns into the world of magic."

In the years under Dumbledore's reign, Britain's wizards have fallen blind. No one questioned why blood magic was branded a dark art. No one noticed when Dumbledore removed Wizarding Etiquette, which all first-year muggleborns were required to attend, was removed. No one stood up for our fellow magical beings as the government cracked down laws and restrictions against their non-human citizens. Why, because Albus Dumbledore was a hero. If the man who fought for the light against the terror of a Dark Lord, he would continue to fight for the lights rights in the various government positions he attained shortly thereafter. However, it has recently become apparent he had done the exact opposite. Instead of making a better world for the wizarding Great Britain, he has handicapped everyone instead. What is dark and what is light had been defined by Dumbledore.

Dumbledore has created a great illusion affecting nearly all of Great Britain's magical population. Those who did not fall under the illusion and dared question the man were almost instantly considered dark, evil, and a follower of He Who Must Not Be Named. Wizards of Great Britain have stopped thinking and started being blind followers. Dumbledore declared Blood Magic completely evil and barbaric, and Great Britain instantly agreed to forget the fact that Blood Magic can be used for healing, adoption, ancestry, and more. Anyone thirty years of age or older will remember the class which helped so many fellow witches and wizards assimilate to the new culture they had been thrust into only a month before, yet no one said a word when Dumbledore removed the class from Hogwarts curriculum. The loss of nearly ninety percent of all muggle-borns after they complete their Hogwart's educations can be attributed to the loss of this class. As for the creature laws, well when was the last time you have seen any non-human working outside of goblin territory within Magical Britain?

Will the great nation of Great Britain continue to follow blindly or will the people break free of the silent terror leading the nation to ruin?

-0-

May 14, 1990 8:00 a.m.

Two faceless Aurors knocked on the cell door to Sirius Black's cell to alert the man it was time for his trial. The man was still gaunt and sickly looking from his long stint in Azkaban, but the man still had his head held high and he stood and walked with a unique strength. The walk to the courtroom was quite a distance. Sirius' cell had been assigned well out of the way of everyday traffic for his protection, therefore the company was slightly off schedule when they arrived. This was a good thing as a late comer who had arrived shortly before the trio had been attacked by two dementors just inside the door.

The poor man had been kissed before the creatures were reined in. A pale looking man who had always supported Dumbledore to an extreme extent had paled and began to weep. The man was hauled off, and Sirius was escorted inside.

The court was loudly discussing the attack and Madame Longbottom had to bang her magical gavel twice before the room quieted.

"The continuation of the trial of one Sirius Black is now in session as of May 14, 1990. The time is 8:45 a.m. Please note that the trial was delayed due to a dementor attack intended for the prisoner. Lord Cassius was instead the unfortunate victim. I will start off by asking the accused Sirius Black if he will willingly submit to veritaserum." Lady Longbottom paused until Sirius nodded his assent. "The accused has agreed. Guards escort potions master Bleathly forward."

The potions master was escorted to a spot near the chair Sirius had been chained in, and he couldn't help but look at the man he was sure had been innocent when he was sent to that God awful prison. The man didn't seem afraid only hopeful.

Bleathly's examination was cut short when the new Chiefess Longbottom asked, "Potions master Bleathly, can you examine the vial of Veritaserum and verify that the potion has been made correctly and more importantly that the potion is in fact veritaserum.

"I can Chiefess Longbottom." His reply sounded out clear in the silent room. Without further instruction, Bleathly examined the vial. Thankfully the potion was indeed Veritaserum and the potion had been made correctly. "Lady Longbottom my findings are that the potion in the vial is Veritaserum and the potion has been made correctly."

"Thank you, potions master Bleathly. Please return to your seat." Lady Longbottom acknowledged. Bleathly was escorted back to his seat and the trial continued.

The charges against Sirius Black were once again listed and the man was once again asked if he was willing to take Veritaserum. When he accented the Sirius was then dosed correctly.

There was a pause in the trial to allow the potion to take effect. This gave the Chiefess Longbottom an idea on where to start. "Mr. Black where do you think the events leading to your incarceration began?"

Black's monotone potion affected voice replied, "Before I entered Hogwarts."

"Can you elaborate Mr. Black?" Lady Longbottom asked confused.

"My family has always been dark, but my mother took my education of such things to the extreme from a very young age. By the time I was five I knew the existence of five different spells that would rupture the organ's in someone, and her teachings continued on until I ran from the family when I was sixteen and she tried teaching me the unforgivable's. However, her behavior didn't seem quite right. Twice a month her behavior would drastically increase in awfulness, and suddenly disappears when my father arrived home from his travels. These mood changes happened as soon as she received blank parchment from someone. Now that I'm older I can look at things differently, and can speculate that the parchment was dosed with something to make my mother act the way she did. I can only guess someone didn't want me to accept my role as a black and everything that came with the title."

Silence reigned for all of three seconds before hissing whispers overtook the courtroom. Chiefess Longbottom was having none of it though and banged the gavel in warning before continuing. "Mr. Black, what was the next event you suspect in leading to your incarceration?"

The monotone voice of the gaunt man continued, "Lady Longbottom there are many events which I feel have led to my incarceration. Perhaps it would be more efficient to lend you the memories of such events?"

The idea had merit. Lady Longbottom had been dreading the length of this trial from the beginning, and coupled with the fact Veritaserum could only be administered once every twenty-four hours… "Very well, I second Mr. Black's idea does anyone second the notion?" Lady Longbottom asked/decided.

There were quite a few people who decided to support the decision to view Sirius Black's memories. It took ten minutes for the incarcerated man to extract all of the memories he felt led to his incarceration.

-0-

Memory 01, Age 11

Sirius Black stood on the platform 9 ¾ trying to escape the presence of his hissing mother. She had and was making it clear what house she expected her eldest child to be in: Slytherin. Sirius' face on the matter spoke 'Hell No' in volumes. Her next words were unfocused as Sirius focused not on her words but the crowd. A rat faced boy was staring at him greedily, and the Wizengamot viewers could see how uncomfortable his stare made Sirius.

-0-

Memory 02 Age 11

Sirius Black was happily talking with James Potter inside one of the school train's compartments. The lunch trolley arriving interrupting the conversation gave everyone viewing the memory a timeline on how much time had passed on this particular train ride. The boys had both bought enough sweets to feed a small army, and they began happily munching away on the goods. Ten minutes of pigging out passed before a scarred boy with dirty blonde hair and golden eyes entered the compartment with a red headed girl with green eyes.

"Excuse us, but could we hide in your compartment a rat faced boy that makes us both-" Lupin began before the compartment door opened once more to reveal said boy the two were escaping from and halted the scarred boy's sentence.

"Lily, Lupin, I thought I had lost you," Pettigrew said in a voice that was reedy and high for a boy his age.

Lily froze slightly and said, "Oh, we were searching for the lunch trolley and realized we'd gone too far when we saw these two enjoying the snacks from the trolley and decided to poke our heads in and ask how long ago it had passed by."

Lupin and Lily looked like they would rather be anywhere else than around the boy. Sirius couldn't help but agree. The boys stare earlier had raised the hairs on the back of his neck.

"I think you have missed the trolley, but you are certainly welcome to share our snacks with us as we bought enough to feed ourselves and ten others," James spoke up looking only at Lily. Lily blushed and stammered slightly but Pettigrew spoke up first. "Oh, thank you, James!"

As the memory receded the views all realize Pettigrew had already known Potter's name as the boy had yet to introduce himself.

-0-

The next memory began surprising everyone that the next memory was still on the boys first train ride to Hogwarts.

Memory 03 Age 11

A greasy black haired, black eyed, and hooked nosed boy stopped just outside the boy's compartment and focused on the only girl in the boy's compartment. Lily took her chance and left the compartment to get away from Pettigrew and the rest of the boys were jealous of her chance to slip away.

Pettigrew's, "What a disgusting guy!" left them all feeling dirty and ashamed, but James Potter half heartedly agreed if only because the boy had Lily's favor. Though they all could accent that the boy needed a decent shower and more sunlight.

-0-

Memory 04 Age 11

Pettigrew's sorting took ten minutes and ended with the hat finally shouting out in exasperation, "Fine Gryffindor!"

There next several memories were of Pettigrew forcing his company on the others, and each memory had the boy constantly encouraging his fellow dorm mates to bully Snape.

-0-

Memory 13 Age 14

"Jame's, I don't think this is a good idea." Remus Lupin's voice warned.

Pettigrew's, "Oh come on Moony! We need to pay Snivellus back for his trick in potions!"

Sirius and James shared a look. While they wanted to pay Snivellus back for the exploded potion, tripping him down the stairs to land in a glue and chicken feathers bath was a bit dangerous. However, before they could change their minds Snape fell into their trap having arrived earlier than anticipated. Instead of landing in the glue and feathers the boy landed ten feet away from their prank as he'd tried to stop himself along the way. The boy's left arm was at an ugly angle. His head was bleeding and it looked like his fall had knocked him out at one point. The sight of the boy just lying there unmoving had the instigators of the prank looking on in horror. Well, Pettigrew was the rather obvious exception. The boy to the Wizengamot viewers looked pleased and slightly proud.

At the top of the stairs appeared Dumbledore. He looked solemn. "Boy's report to my office and wait for me to settle young Snape in the hospital wing." Three guilty boys made their way up the stairs wondering how the fourth could be so calm after what happened.

Dumbledore had somehow managed to beat them to his office and called them up at once when they had arrived in front of the gargoyle that protected the head office. They were instructed to sit down and ten minutes of silence followed.

"Boy's what happened tonight can not be excused. While I am sure you didn't mean to cause such harm to young Severus the fact remains your actions caused him harm. Therefore in light of the events, five points shall be deducted from each of you and you will each attend a nightly detention for the next week with Mr. Filch.

Lupin, Black, and Potter all looked wide eyed at the Headmaster. They had just seriously harmed another student and their punishment was a combined twenty point loss and a week long detention? However, they decided to count their blessings, after all, only a fool would demand a greater punishment.

-0-

The memories following the stair prank showed a series of pranks that became more and more hazardous to their fellow students and especially Snape. Each memory had Pettigrew encouraging them on helping them disregard the safety of others. Then the memory of when Black tempted Snape to go to the shrieking shack during the full moon had the viewers sick. Lupin's werewolf status had been revealed in one of the earlier memories along with the place the young man went through his transformations.

The memory of Snape actually taking Black's advice and going to the shack had left the mass of viewers sick and horrified. Sirius should have been expelled at least for his actions. Instead, Snape seemed to be the only one suffering for this particular event. As the next memory showed the boys in the hospital wing. Sirius had to apologize but that was the only punishment issued to the young man. Dumbledore's, "My boy your actions last night can not be excused." being heard as the boys exited through the infirmary doors let everyone watching know that the person being punished in the end was Snape not Sirius.

Some of the Wizengamot members were beginning to understand. The boys weren't really to blame in all of this. After all, when a child is naughty you punish them and let them know future bad behavior had similar consequences. However, when a child is naughty and they aren't punished they begin to think there aren't consequences and will continue to deteriorate until they truly hurt themselves or others.

-0-

Memory 21 Age 16

Sirius was sitting on his four poster bed inside Gryffindor tower. The young man was crying. Lupin and Potter entered and Sirius tried to hide the fact he had been crying but to no avail.

"Pad's what's wrong?" James asked.

"I… I ran away from home because my mother was forcing me to behave in a way I couldn't stand, but I find my behavior as of late almost rivaling my idea of how I would act if I had given into my mother's demands. The incident with Snape last week that led him to the shack... I didn't feel in control at all. I don't honestly know why I despise the man so much. I feel as if I'm being controlled by someone else. I don't like the person I am right now. The kind of person that would lure someone to their death." Sirius sobbed.

James immediately paled as his best friend finished speaking. There was a pause, Moony or Lupin was still very angry with Sirius and refused to speak to him at all since the incident, before James quietly said, "Maybe we are being controlled. Summer break is only two weeks away. I think as soon as we're off the train we should convince my parents to take us to St. Mungo's."

"What do you mean we?" Sirius asked brokenly.

James paused again, "You aren't the only one feeling as if you're not quite right. If this was just about Lily as it should be, I would be acting very different. I wouldn't be targeting my rival I would be learning about her, and trying to woo her, but instead, all my energy is going into targeting Snivel-...Snape. I think someone has been tampering with us for a while now, and I would rather be checked and sure so I can change my behavior, or free from whoever is controlling me."

Lupin looked at his friends in worry. Before he could speak, however, Pettigrew entered saw Sirius crying and asked, "That Hufflepuff reject you or something?"

Lupin responded before James or Sirius could, "Sirius just got a letter from home."

Pettigrew just nodded and tried to form a sympathetic face.

-0-

Memory 22, Age 16

Sirius and James were speaking softly in the waiting room on one of the floors in St. Mungos. Their quiet conversation about how to change their behavior if their behavior wasn't influenced by someone else making was interrupted when a Healer walked into the room.

"Lord and Lady Potter, Heir Potter, and Heir Black I'm afraid you are going to have to come with me." the healer said in a very grave tone.

Lord and Lady Potter were pale and gripped one another's hands tightly. For a moment the viewers smiled. The love between the late Lord and Lady Potter was often admired and left anyone seeing them together feeling warm. To be able to see them, even second hand, together again was a treasure. Soon the four of them were in a small private room and seated in front of the Healer.

The healer looked at James for a moment and then Sirius. "Lord Potter how long have you had custody of Heir Black?" the healer began.

"Sirius has stayed with us for varying degrees since he was thirteen, but I've only had custody of him for three months now. I don't know why his parents suddenly agreed, my wife and I have been fighting for custody of the remarkable young man since he flooed into our home two weeks into summer break during his third year." Lord Potter responded.

The Healer relaxed visibly. "Well, that's good news. The bad news Lord and Lady Potter is that your boys have been administered behavioral potions from the moment they started school if I were to guess as their results just show the potions began at age eleven. For the next year, they are going to have to take one potion a month to help clear their system and to prevent any further tampering of their personalities. I should warn you the boys are going to be very temperamental. For a while, they are going to act, for lack of a better term, like pregnant women as their moods will drastically change at a moment's notice. Some of their behavior has become ingrained as well, so boys if you find yourself not liking some of the actions you make you are going to have to take responsibility and change."

James and Sirius were pale. For all their suspicions to have their fears confirmed wasn't something either were prepared for. Lady Potter began to quietly sob after a few moments of studying the boys. The healer guessed what she was feeling and said in a soft tone, "Lady Potter, the potions administered to your boys work over time gradually changing their personalities. You and your husband wouldn't have noticed a thing even if you knew about the potions."

-0-

The memories stopped and the viewers were once more aware of their surroundings in the Wizengamot chambers.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot I would like to take this time to clarify some details with Mr. Black before we continue. Understanding what we are seeing, after all, is essential to deciphering what it is exactly we are seeing." Chiefess Longbottom spoke to the shaken Wizengamot members.

"Mr. Black, do you know who was administering potions to you and James Potter while you attended Hogwarts School of WItchcraft and Wizardry?"

Black, still under the effects of veritaserum, answered, "I don't have concrete proof, but yes I know who administered the potions to James and myself. The rest of my memories should help you figure out whom I speak of on your own."

Lady Longbottom nodded and asked the next question, "What behaviors did you and James Potter have to amend after you were free of the potions?"

"I struggled with womanizing every attractive female near me. I had always admired one girl, and my behavior certainly wouldn't endear me to her. I also had impulse issues. Before I went to Hogwarts I was a detailed planner, and I used those plans to escape my mother most days. James and I both had trouble not humiliating people with our pranks. We wanted to be funny, not bully's. The thing James had to work on the most was not attacking Snape, actually wooing Lily, and to cut down on his ruthlessness. He needed to learn when to stop." Black's reply was surprising but understandable.

Another nod and Lady Longbottom looked around seeing that her fellow members of the Wizengamot didn't have any questions, but before Lady Longbottom started the memories once more a 'Hem Hem,' had her on edge and with a sigh, she asked, "Yes Madame Umbridge."

"Chiefess may I ask the prisoner something?" Chiefess Longbottom decided that agreeing at this point would be easier than dealing with her stares for the rest of the evening and in the foreseeable future and nodded at the toad. The toad sat up straighter and looked down at heir Black as if he was a disgusting bug in her home and asked, "From what I can gather, Mr. Black, from your memories, is that you nor your fellow dorm mates and in fact year mates did not like Pettigrew. Why did you hang out with the boy if he put you all on edge?"

Sirius' reply had a faint growl to it, "We did not hang around with the traitor, my earlier memories should have shown that he forced his company on us." Unbitch pinked and sagged back in her chair. Lady Longbottom held back a slight smile though her eyes twinkled and then the Wizengamot was once again in the land of memories.

-0-

Memory 23 Age 17

Lupin, Potter, and Black were all huddled around a fantastic map just outside the great hall under some type of cloak. All three boys were smiling in contained humor, but Black couldn't help whisper. "I can't wait for tomorrow! I hope Malfoy's hair turns a truly obnoxious color." James and Lupin nodded and chuckled quietly in agreement.

Then Lupin froze and hissed, "What is Pettigrew doing in the Headmaster's office?"

James and Sirius' heads knocked together as both tried to get a better view of the map in the dark. There in the headmaster's office were two names, Peter Pettigrew and Albus Dumbledore.

-0-

Memory 24 Age 17

Sirius and James had just entered the Potter Mansion kitchen to see Lord and Lady Potter sitting stiffly across from Dumbledore at the family dining table.

"Ah, boys lovely to see you. I just dropped in to invite you and your parents to a new organization to fight the Dark Lord Voldemort. I am calling it the Order of the Phoenix. You boys are welcome to join as well."

James and Sirius shared a look, and James spoke for the both of them. "I am sorry headmaster, but Sirius and I are in the middle of Auror training at the moment, and all my free time has been devoted to Lily. She agreed to marry me last week!"

Dumbledore did not look pleased and said, "I can't believe the boys I have watched grow into fine leaders wouldn't take a stand to help others. I guess my assessment of your Gryffindor courage was incorrect.

"I suppose so Dumbledore." Lady Potter's voice snapped. "I'm sorry to be rude, but I haven't seen my boys for at least a month now and would like some time alone with them. Please leave."

Dumbledore looked enraged for the barest of a second before his face smoothed and he sighed genially before standing and saying, "I suppose it was too much to ask for help warring against another Dark Lord. Then again no one wanted to stand against Grindelwald either. It seems as if I'm doomed to fight the Dark on my own. Good day."

He walked to the floor calm as you please and shouted, "Hogwarts headmaster's study."

Once he was gone Lord Potter slammed his hand down on the table. "That, that, that man! How dare he come into our home uninvited to wait for our boys and imply that he knew them better than we did. How dare he think that they would drop everything to join his silly little organization despite the fact it would ruin any future career once the war to quit in their training two months-"

"Know them better than we do. Oh God, why didn't I see it sooner?" Lady Potter's cry interrupted her husband's rant and causing all their hearts to stop in horror.

"No, he wouldn't, would he?" Sirius asked James a bit panicked.

James was too out of it to respond.

-0-

Memory 25 Age 18

"Siri, what happened to us swearing to never join the Order of the Phoenix?" James asked as the two sat looking at the ruins of the Potter Mansion. Both Lord and Lady Potter had been trapped inside during the attack on the Mansion. However, as devastating as the attack was the Dark Menious and his Death Mongers hadn't taken credit for the attack.

"James, think about it for a minute. Volde didn't take credit for the attack. My guess is 'whomever' fed us those potions before wasn't happy we got free of their manipulations, and if you remember Dumbledore kept showing up randomly after they were… after they were gone and kept forcing his awful food on us. I think that we joined because we were forced to join. I mean you have a wife and baby on the way. Joining an organization that's directly facing the Dark muncher wouldn't be smart when you have a family that needs you, and could be attacked just for being close to you." Sirius voiced his opinions on the matter.

James sighed and said sadly, "Looks like we are going back on those disgusting potions again."

-0-

Memory 26 Age 19

Lily was quietly conversing with Frank and Alice Longbottom while James watched on with Sirius. When Frank laughed and said, "I can't wait until he has his very own wand. I have no doubt he will surpass me in every way." James couldn't help, but smile and the viewers could tell he had similar hopes for little Harry.

The warm atmosphere disappeared when Pettigrew scurried in with Dumbledore. "Good everyone's here," Dumbledore said in a genial tone. "I'm afraid I have some bad news for the four expecting parents. Two days ago while I was conducting a job interview for the open position of divination, the interviewee spoke a prophecy about the fall of the Dark Lord. The prophecy was overheard by a death eater. I have gone over the Prophecy and have discovered that the vanquisher of the Dark Lord is one of your children arriving soon. I have no doubt the Dark Lord will soon decipher this for himself which puts you four in a grave position."

Everyone in the room looked at the old man as if he had grown a second head.

"Very well, I would like to hear this prophecy that put's my child in such danger," Lily stated boldly.

"My dear girl, having such knowledge out in the open would be hazardous for all." Dumbledore chided.

Alice and Frank were already in agreement though much to the surprise of Lily, James, and Sirius. "Headmaster, where would be the best place to hide?" Alice asked as she clutched her stomach.

Lily looked totally baffled, "Alice you are married to a Lord with a home under the Fidelius charm. Why are you asking the headmaster where to stay when you have a perfectly secure home? Furthermore, how can you just take his word that a prophecy is endangering your child? We don't even know the contents of the prophecy or if the prophecy is even about this dark lord. For all, we know it could be about a dark lord that appears a thousand years from now." Alice and Frank looked like they were struggling momentarily, but instead of answering they acted like they didn't even hear a word Lily had said.

Dumbledore spoke before Lily could start again, "Frank, I think it would be best to stay at the cottage at the edge of the bath for a while."

Frank nodded and looked relieved and took Alice's hand and the couple was soon flooing back to their home under the Fidelius charm to pack and move into their well-known cottage.

"What did you do to them?" Lily asked in horror.

"I have done nothing, my dear. I think it would be best for you and James to stay in a small apartment in Hogsmeade." Dumbledore replied.

"Wha-" Lily began to ask while shaking her head. James and Sirius were no better. All three of them looked drunk and confused.

"I said, I think it would be best if you and James stayed in an apartment in Hogsmeade," Dumbledore repeated and all three of them nodded.

"Come on Lil's, Sirius will help us pack," James said and began leading them out of the Order headquarters.

-0-

Memory 27 Age 20

Lily was holding a baby Harry who lay asleep in her arms and James had his arms around them both. The young couple looked wore out and slightly dirty as if they had just had a tussle. "Dumbledore our safe house was attacked again. You need to find a safer place for us." Lily demanded.

Dumbledore had his fingers steeped and the corners of his mouth were smirking slightly. "I don't think anywhere will truly be safe if it's not placed under the Fidelius Charm. I have done everything in my power to keep you and your family safe along with the Longbottom's. However, I now know you will only be safe under the ultimate protection."

"Very well," Sirius spoke up, "James, Lil's I'll be your secret keeper. I will take the secret of your home to the grave." His tone was solemn and firm. It was obvious he would die before betraying them.

"No Sirius, you would instantly become a target. Everyone knows how close you are to the Potters and would immediately attack you for the Potters where about once it became known the Potters have hidden under the Fidelius Charm. It is lucky James that you have so many loyal friends. My 'suggestion' is that you use your other best friend Peter to keep your secret, and you mister Black can be the decoy." Dumbledore dictated.

The Potters and Sirius' eyes became glassy and they all nodded in agreement to the plan.

The viewers were horrified as they began to understand just how evil Dumbledore truly was, and how far he had manipulated everyone. Three months ago most of the members would have refused to believe what their eyes were seeing, but Rita Skeeter had ripped the blinders back just enough for them to truly understand that Dumbledore was far from the man the populace believed him to be.

-0-

Memory 28 age 21

Sirius apparated from Diagon Alley to a small cottage by a forest. There were no lights on in the cottage and the place had an abandoned quality. Sirius pulled out his wand and crept forward. The door was opened and the place was searched. Inside every room was evidence that someone had packed up and left in a hurry. Sirius was sweating and shaking after the third room and then he was running back out the door. As soon as the man ran past the wards he disapparated.

When things became visible again young Sirius was in front of what was left of the Potter's home. Harry could be heard screaming from outside the gates. Sirius ran into the house and dropped to his knees in agony when he caught sight of James body against the stairs. His hazel eyes no longer looking at anything. Sirius crawled to his brother in all but blood and closed his eyes and just held the man for a moment before moving up the stair slowly.

The walls of the nursery had soot-tinged holes of varying sizes four feet and up. Inside the nursery, Lily lay face down in front of the crib. Everything from four feet down was untouched, but everything above looked like it had been set on fire with bombarida's cast in random intervals around the room to help the fire. What caught everyone's attention though was little Harry, his face smeared with blood and tears, was reaching for his lifeless mother through the magically locked crib.

"Oh, my sweet cub." Sirius croaked and picked up the little one. Sirius had the baby in his arms and had just gotten him outside the house when Hagrid showed up.

"Professor Dumbledore told me to come pick up little Harry. You best be handing him over so I can drop him off to his family." Hagrid said tearily.

"Hagrid, Lily and James' will states that should anything happen… should anything happen to them I was to raise Harry. I'm not giving him up to be raised by someone else. Even Amelia." Sirius replied still comforting the now sleeping Harry.

Hagrid put up a fuss, and Sirius regretfully hand little Harry over least he gets hurt when Hagrid tried to force his way.

Before Hagrid could get very far with his godson Sirius piped up once more, "Hagrid take my bike. I don't know how you're traveling, but the bike would be safest for Harry.

The memory left various members of the Wizengamot in tears. Even after all this time, the horror of what had happened to the Potter's was tangible.

-0-

Memory 29 age 22

Sirius rushed after the rat faced man through Muggle London. Pettigrew was overweight and couldn't keep up with Sirius before Auror training much less after. Two minutes into the chase Pettigrew turned around and screamed, "Why Sirius, why did you betray Lily and James? They are dead because of you!" A quick swipe of the rat's arm had his finger removed and the street on fire. Once the fire was clear a rat with a bleeding paw dove into the sewers, leaving a hysterically laughing Sirius behind.

When his fellow Aurors arrived all Sirius could mutter was, "It's my fault. I killed Lily and James." Anything more he might have said was silenced with a stunner.

-0-

Memory 30 Age 22

The viewers of the Wizengamot were puzzled when they couldn't see anything in the pitch blackness of the next memory until a Dementor's shape could be made out. They watched Sirius wake-up and realize where he was. They heard him whisper, "If only I had been able to break free of Dumbledore perhaps my family would still be alive. Instead, I was a tool that let a rat be placed in charge of their safety. I might as well killed my brother and his wife with my bear hands.."

-0-

When everyone viewing the memories could once again see the halls of the Wizengamot they were in shock. Dumbledore had been manipulating not only the Potter's and Longbottoms but the Black heir and countless others. The man had deliberately put both couples and their children in danger, forced an unknown number of people in direct confrontation of the self-proclaimed Dark Lord, and well it was apparent these were just small scale events in the grand scheme of things when it came to Dumbledore.

"Mr. Black," Lady Longbottom's voice seemed to boom out in the halls making quite a few people jump in surprise. "Why did you claim to be the one to kill Lily and James Potter?"

"Chiefess Longbottom, I felt it was my fault. I felt if I had resisted more, if I had listened to my misgivings, if I hadn't been so weak to Dumbledore's will, I might have been able to keep them safe. Instead, I let a slimy weak minded slime ball I have never liked being put in charge of my best friend, his wife, and my godson's safety." Blacks reply while monotone in nature held hints of self-loathing and desperate sadness.

"Very well, at this time we have seen and heard enough to make a decision. Deliberation may take a while, therefore, you will be escorted to your cell until it is time to sentence you or release you." Lady Longbottom decreed.

Sirius was administered the antidote for Veritaserum and escorted to a holding cell just outside the Wizengamot chambers. An hour later the Wizengamot had made its decision and Sirius Black was called back.

-0-

Lady Longbottom stood when Sirius was once more seated before the Wizengamot. "Sirius Black, we of the Wizengamot do find you innocent of second-degree murder in regards to the Potter's murder. We of the Wizengamot do find you innocent of twelve counts of first-degree murder of twelve muggles on November 5, 1981. We of the Wizengamot do find you innocent of first-degree murder against one Peter Anthony Pettigrew. We of the Wizengamot do find you guilty of being an illegal animagus. However, it has had been decided that you have already served your time and then some for the crime, therefore, we will register your form and you are free to leave. In the coming days, ten thousand dollars for each year you have been held unlawfully in Azkaban will be deposited into your Gringotts account. You are free to leave Mr. Black."

-0-

A shaken Sirius Black was slowly making his way up the stairs to the lifts. He couldn't believe he was well and truly free! It only took having his godson travel back in time to make it happen, but hey, he was free now and he was going to enjoy it for the rest of his life! Amelia's arms embracing him from behind just as he reached the top of the stairs had him smiling. God, he loved her, and he hated how much he was going to hurt her in the next few hours. He knew Amelia was banking on him and Harry moving in with her and Susan the moment he left the ministry, but Sirius knew that wasn't what his pup or himself needed. No the two of them needed to spend some time someplace warm and inviting where no pressing matters could arise. They needed a place to learn what it meant to be truly free and at peace. The time would once again come where they would need to fight, but when that time came both would be healed enough to take on such a burden once more.

Somehow people from the Wizengamot stole all the space in the first lift up, but Sirius and Amelia managed to catch the second. Everything was quiet even though he was sure Augusta wanted to question him more about Dumbledore's actions against her son and daughter in law.

When the lifts opened the sight of Harry running toward him had everything falling into place. Life was good and would get even better.

A/N: I was going to do a double upload, but decided to not make ya'll wait.

A/N: 8/20/2017 is a grammar update for all chapters.


	16. Hoping For Healing

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Starting the Process of Healing

May 14, 1990, 7:00 p.m.

Sirius Black, Harry Potter, Susan Bones, and Amelia Bones were picking at their food rather than eating. The stares from those around them had even put a man who'd starved chronically over the last decade off his food. Harry was the only one managing to eat the majority of his meal as he was more than used to the stares of others, but his lack of apatite was still prevalent.

Harry couldn't help but glance up at Sirius often. From the brief conversation in the man's cell, Harry had guessed his beloved godfather had come back in time as well? If so would he be mad at Harry for his actions in the ministry? Did Sirius still want him now that he was free to live with this woman who'd been clinging to him? Why hadn't he mentioned his love for Amelia before, because it was obvious the two were in love.

Amelia broke the uncomfortable silence first, "Sirius, when I picked up Susan earlier I had my elf make up a room for you and Harry. You can-"

"Amelia, Harry and I aren't going to be living with you, at least not for a while. I need to recover, and I am putting both myself and my godson through therapy." Sirius interrupted with a wince. Amelia's face had frozen and her face was going red with anger.

"What does any of that have to do with not staying with me and Susan?" she demanded hotly.

Sirius took a long breath. "Amelia," he sighed and started again. "Meli, I need to be somewhere where the sun is constantly out and the air is so warm I feel like I'm in a furnace. I need time to get over the horrors of our illustrious wizarding prison. Harry and I both need therapy to deal with the shit that has happened to us, and none of that can happen here. You love your job, and I know there will come a day, if you leave with us now, when you will bitterly regret giving up your career to follow me on a sabbatical. This isn't goodbye, Meli, this is just the beginning. Besides, you and I need to work our way back to how things were before. We have both changed, and we will have to relearn one another."

Amelia looked angry and hurt. Sirius could tell the woman hadn't heard a thing he had said, all she was hearing was, "I am leaving you, and no we can't pick up from where we left off."

"Fine," Amelia snapped, "But one day you are going to bitterly regret giving up me! Come, Susan, we are going home."

Susan hastened to follow her aunt, but she couldn't help but look over her shoulder at the crest fallen man. She found she understood what her aunt could not, therefore, Susan would work on her aunt while the men who she would one-day call family left to heal unseen wounds.

Back at the table, Harry put a firm hand on Sirius' shoulder. The boy wasn't sure what to do to help the man. After all, most days he didn't know what to do to help himself. The potions had made him forget what emotions were and Harry had lost their meanings over time. This was what truly being helpless was, Harry determined, to be unable to understand what it means to be a person.

Sirius had looked up at the feel of Harry's hand on his shoulder. His poor pup had a heartbreaking look of confusion on his face. He needed help, they needed help, and the knowledge of that undeniable fact pushed all doubts Sirius was feeling away. Now was not the time to chase Amelia and work things out between them, now was the time to be a parent and take care of his pup and himself. Standing, Sirius dropped the money for the meal on the table and looked down at his distracted godson. "Come on pup, we have a Portkey to catch in half an hour."

Harry got to his feet as well and the two recently freed men left together in hopes of finding healing.

A/N: Just a small update while I'm writing Pettigrew's trial.


	17. Pettigrew's Trial Part 01

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: I apologise for any mistakes!

The Trial of Peter Pettigrew

May 15, 1990 7:45 a.m.

Peter Pettigrew looked around the faded gray stone walls of the ministry holding cell he had been held in since his capture in the Weasley household. He had bitterly regretted the deaths of those Aurors he'd had to put down while trying to escape, and while he felt the steady pressure of guilt weighing his soul down he couldn't help but wonder what was taking Grandfather Dumbledore so long. Dumbledore had always ensured his safety. Surely he wouldn't leave him to the tender mercies of the Dementors, would he? No, Grandfather Dumbledore would ensure he didn't end up imprisoned in Azkaban.

Pettigrew's turbulent thoughts were interrupted when an Auror with a masked identity opened the door to his cell. The concealed Auror said not a word to Pettigrew, the individual simply walked into the cell and waved his wand to ensure the magic suppressors and cuffs were keeping Pettigrew from escaping before grabbing the prisoner's arm and determinedly leading Pettigrew out of the cell. Seeing no way of escaping, Pettigrew hung his head and hoped that Dumbledore would be there to save the day as he'd always had. Unfortunately, for Peter Pettigrew, Dumbledore had lost all standing within the ministry and most of Magical Britain and therefore wouldn't be saving anyone from the dementors, not even himself.

-0-

May 15, 1990 8:00 a.m.

Chiefess Longbottom looked away from the puffy-eyed Amelia Bones when the Wizengamot chambers were opened to introduce a man on the run for the last decade to his fate. The man in question, Peter Pettigrew, was scanning the crowd furiously. Upon realizing the person he most wanted to see wasn't in the room, Pettigrew went very pale and very green. Lady Longbottom was unsure if the prisoner would even make it to his chair without passing out. A strong suspicion of who the rat was looking for passed the Chiefesses mind, but without proof, the Lady had only that a suspicion. Perhaps the Wizengamot might get lucky and get more evidence toward the ever-growing case of one Albus Dumbledore.

Pettigrew managed to make it to the witness chair without passing out, which was really quite surprising. Once he was seated, chained, in the chair, Lady Longbottom began the trial of Pettigrew again. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot, on May 07, 1990 this man, Peter Pettigrew, was here on trial for the murders of Aurors Rowl, Davis, Jacobs, and Runken. While he was on trial for these murders, to which he pled not guilty, new evidence arose which exonerated a Lord of an Ancient and Noble house. The trial had thus been put on a two-week hold while we sorted out the evidence revealed and tracked down new evidence. Auror's Roxanne Dover and Giles Gillespy have been in charge of collecting evidence in any other crimes related to Peter Anthony Pettigrew and the two of them will present the evidence found before we dose Mister Pettigrew with Veritaserum once more. Aurors please step forward and present your evidence."

Auror Dover stepped forward first. "Lady Longbottom, I am reluctant to say that I have absolutely no reliable evidence as our laws do not take non-human testimonies, and someone with considerable skill has managed to destroy all the evidence we have held in lock up. The only trace that is left are the Auror receipts from the evidence logs." The woman looked pained as she spoke. However, many were appalled to realize just how thick a stack of destroyed evidence receipts Auror Dover handed to Lady Longbottom for inspection.

As Lady Longbottom read over the lost evidence logs she couldn't help but cringe. Most of the evidence was poisoned food. The Lady could easily see a wizard disguising him or herself and sneaking into one of the pureblood grocery stores to poison the food the house elves had picked up for their families. Nearly ten people in Frank's class had been murdered that way.

"Very well, thank you Auror Dover." Lady Longbottom said after skimming the various receipts of destroyed evidence. Not all of these crimes could be related back to Pettigrew, but Lady Longbottom could see the man performing over half of the crimes the destroyed evidence had been collected from. Distractedly, Chiefess Longbottom called, "Auror Gillespy, Please step forward and give us your report."

Gillespy stepped forward. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Wizengamot, when Auror Dover and I started digging into Mister Pettigrew's pass and ran into trouble I thought it prudent to interview his parents. Margery Pettigrew, passed in 1974, however, Patric Pettigrew was still alive and well today. While interviewing the man I got the distinct impression that he wasn't surprised that his son was standing trial for murder. When I asked him about my suspicions he said, 'Why would I be surprised? That man has been corrupting him since he was four.' I, of course, asked about the man whom he was speaking of. Patric Pettigrew looked me straight in the eye and said, 'That bastard Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore of course. He had my son wrapped so tightly around his finger by the time Peter was seven that my son probably wouldn't use the bathroom if it wasn't part of that bastards plans, and let me tell you Dumbledore had many plans, none of them good neither.'"

Silence reigned for nearly a minute as everyone processed what Gillespie's evidence implied then whispers started filling the spacious hall. Lady Longbottom wasn't shocked but she would admit to being slightly surprised. Albus Dumbledore wasn't a good man that much had been made clear weeks ago, but to think his claws might be embedded even deeper than already perceived was almost too overwhelming. Chiefess Longbottom knew she would have to phrase her questions today very carefully if she was to tie Dumbledore into the crimes committed by the rat at the feet of the Wizengamot.

"Thank you, Auror Gillespy. As Chiefess of the Wizengamot I declare that all evidence has been examined and reported, therefore, I would like to begin questioning the accused once more, does anyone have any objections?" A full minute passed and no one objected so Lady Longbottom continued, "Very well, as of 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, May 15, 1990, the Wizengamot will once more question Peter Anthony Pettigrew. Auror Dover, please administer another maximum dose of Veritaserum to the accused."

Auror Dover stepped forward once more and picked up the vial which was supposed to contain Veritaserum, however, the contents didn't look right. "Chiefess Longbottom, this Veritaserum doesn't look correct. I believe we need the assistance of a potions master and a new vial of Veritaserum."

Chiefess Longbottom nearly sighed, apparently, someone was trying to enact their own justice on another criminal. Sure the courts failed from time to time, but not having courts at all would be worse. "Potions master Bleathly was on standby for Black's trial does anyone have any arguments on bringing him in once more?" There was some grumbling but no one in the chamber outright objected. "Very well, Auror Gillespy please hasten to Master Bleathly's shop in Diagon Alley and request a vial of Veritaserum and his presence please. Until Auror Gillespy returns Peter Pettigrew's trial is once more on hold."

-0-

May 15, 1990 9:00 a.m.

Harry Potter woke with a start resulting from another nightmare. Fauna popped to his bedside and handed him a vial of calming draft, prescribed by his mind healer, seconds later. With a shudder, Harry downed the potion and relaxed almost back to sleep. However, before he could fall asleep once more Sirius poked his head between the tent flaps that sectioned off his bedroom.

"Morning pup, your elf has breakfast ready and on the table and I don't feel like eating on my own."

Harry automatically began with, "Fauna, her name is Fauna not elf." before continuing with, "I'll be out in five minutes just let me get changed.

Sirius simply rolled his eyes at his godson, honestly, it was just a house elf for Merlin's sake. However, when his eyes leveled out once more he saw the elf staring at his pup with such adoration that it made him uncomfortable. Kreature had looked at Reggy the same way once upon a time. The now free man was honestly puzzled as to why either Regulus or Harry cared so much about the elves. Deciding to put it out of his mind Sirius made his way back into the tent kitchen. Harry kept his promise of five minutes and was soon enjoying a nice large breakfast courtesy of Fauna with Sirius. Once the silent breakfast was tucked away into satisfied stomachs conversation started once more.

"My family owns a couple of small islands in the Caribbean, after we pack the tent up we can go to Gringotts and arrange a portkey." Sirius began in a tone that spoke of finality.

Harry paused briefly, wondering how to broach the subject of his mind healing appointments with Sirius. Sirius was just opening his mouth to say something else when Harry started, "Sirius is this island hard to get to?"

Sirius shot the boy a puzzled look before answering, "No, with a portkey you can come and go at any time. why?"

Harry's pause was slightly smaller but no less noticeable."As much as being together in warm weather sounds wonderful, the two of us are too damaged to heal the way we need to without some help. Just before you were freed I began seeing a mind healer. I was thinking we could get the best of both worlds by having a mind healer or two able to portkey directly to us while we are soaking up the weather the Caribbean has to offer."

Conflicting emotions warred on Sirius' face. Something solid seemed to appear in his eyes and in a different tone Sirius answered, "Pup, I'm sorry. I may have come back, but it's to a body with confusing chemical reactions. I know what you went through, as I watched it all from behind the veil, but the effects of the dementors have tormented this body and mind for nearly a decade. Unfortunately, I've been dealing with the symptoms and my mind may wander a bit. We will go to St. Mungo's first and arrange for your healer to make house calls and after that is finished I will find a mind healer of my own. You may have to help with that if my mind takes off again."

Harry nodded now understanding why Sirius seemed to be all over the place with vastly changing personalities. Healing was going to be difficult for both of them, but Harry's hope was that the process of healing wouldn't ruin their relationship with one another.

-0-

May 15, 1990 10:02 a.m.

The chambers to the Wizengamot instantly silenced when the doors opened for the first time since Gillespy left to retrieve Master Bleathly. Both walked through the doors slightly out of breath. Seeing them both their Lady Longbottom got the ball rolling again so to speak. "Potions Master Bleathly, I have had Auror Gillespy sent to your shop for yourself and a vial of Veritaserum. Before I explain why we need you here can you present a vial of Veritaserum and make an oath that the vial does indeed contain Veritaserum?"

Bleathly had managed to catch his breath before he answered, "Yes ma'am I can." Bleathly pulled out a small vial from his waist pocket and removed his wand from its holster along his left forearm. "I Potions Master Bleathly do swear on my life and magic that the vial I have brought to the Wizengamot Chambers on May 15, 1990, is Veritaserum made to the best of my abilities so mote be." A flash of white light acknowledged the statement as true.

Lady Longbottom nodded in acceptance of the vow and asked, "Master Bleathly, Auror Dover has a vial of a suspicious substance placed in the courtroom in the guise of Veritaserum, could you please examine the vial and identify the substance for the Wizengamot?"

Potions Master Bleathly searched for Auror Dover and could not find her. "Chiefess Longbottom, where is Auror Dover?"

A scream near the seats of the Wizengamot caught everyone's attention. The barest of looks told you why the person had screamed, many followed her example. By the entrance to the Wizengamot seats one of the minor Lords, Jeffery Jefferys, had a knife pressed against Auror Dover's throat. Lord Jefferys looked crazed and dangerous.

"This bitch should have just kept her mouth shut. Grandfather Dumbledore isn't here anymore to protect his family. Therefore I will protect our family in his place. Even if it means ending some of my families lives before they have to witness Azkaban!" As he finished his rant Jeffery Jeffreys made a move to drag the knife along Auror Dovers neck, however, Giles Gillespy wasn't about to have another person he loved die on him and intervened. A quick immobulus was cast and Roxanne Dover had gained enough time to escape. When the woman did escape Giles Gillespy breathed again.

Roxanne was the one to take Lord Jefferys down in the end as Gillespy was too busy searching the woman for any hidden injuries. However, once he realized that the man who had almost killed her had yet to be detained he got his act together. Soon the two Aurors were escorting the crazy coot to a secured cell two doors down from Pettigrew's. Once the man was secured Giles Gillespy grabbed Roxanne Dover's arm and pulled her into his arms. A slight turn of his head had his lips right next to her ear. "Roxanne Dover, I love you more than air."

Giles thought he might have heard a "Finally," escape her lips, but as she was kissing him in the next second he decided it didn't honestly matter. Needless to say, the two arrived back in the Wizengamot chambers flushed and giddy. Lady Longbottom almost snorted when she caught sight of the two, it was about time in her book. Amelia almost sobbed when she saw them though, why couldn't she and Sirius be happy together like that?

Lady Longbottom didn't want to interrupt such a happy moment, but they weren't here to giggle and gossip about people love lives. "Auror Dover, do you still have the potions vial from earlier?"

Auror Dover started searching herself and paled when she realized the vial wasn't on her. She raced back out the doors toward the holding cells and wasn't seen for three minutes. When she came back her face was white and she was shaking slightly. "Chiefess Longbottom, It appears that in the confusion earlier Lord Jefferys of the house of Jefferys managed to take the suspicious substance from me. When I went back to check the cell Auror Gillespy and I had placed him in, Lord Jefferys was almost completely liquified. I called for a healer, but there was almost nothing left for them to examine. Healer Stone is on his way to give you the report." The fact that the man had downed the potion didn't have to be spoken aloud for everyone to understand how Lord Jefferys had gotten into his liquid state.

Before Chiefess Longbottom could respond to this new bit of complication Potions Master Bleathly spoke up, "Dissolved you say, tell me was the potion slightly smoky, almost like partially boiled water?" Auror Dover thought for a moment and nodded while verbally agreeing that his description sounded right. Bleathly paled and looked away from Auror Dover up to Chiefess Longbottom. "If I were to postulate ma'am, I would identify the position as one of the acids used to clean Goblin made items." The Wizengamot familiar with the substance collectively winced internally. What an awful way to go.

"I do believe things have derailed from the purpose of which we are all here for today which is the trial of Peter Anthony Pettigrew. We now have a vial of Veritaserum under magical oath of the potions mast who brewed the substance. Therefore, I declare that the questioning of Peter Anthony Pettigrew to commence once more. Potions Master Bleathly if you would be so kind as to administer the maximum dosage to the accused." Lady Longbottom's abrupt start and a reminder of the trial of Pettigrew which the Wizengamot was present for had everyone in the hall focusing once more.

The potion was administered to Pettigrew by Master Bleathly and the three standard questions were given once more. Once the potion was documented as successfully brewed Lady Longbottom excused Potions Master Bleathly.

"Peter Pettigrew, in our last session you claimed to not be guilty of murdering four Aurors claiming self-defense. When we asked you why you felt the need to defend yourself you explained that you were in hiding from Sirius Black. After expanding on why you went to such lengths as faking your own death and hiding out as an animal you revealed evidence that linked you to the murders of Lily and James Potter and the twelve Muggles which died in the confrontation with Sirius Black and yourself on November 5, 1981. Do these statements sound false to you?"

Pettigrew's, "No," was almost too silent to hear.

Lady Longbottom nodded and started in on Pettigrew once more, "Mister Pettigrew, were you Lily and James Potter's secret keeper?"

"Yes, I was their secret keeper," Pettigrew admitted.

"If you were the late Potter's secret keeper, why was everyone told the secret keeper was Sirius Black?"

Everyone leaned in a little anxious for the man's response. "Lily and James both wanted Sirius as their secret keeper, but Dumbledore insisted that Black was too obvious. He then persuaded them to use me instead even though their next choice was Remus Lupin. Black was to be a decoy that everyone would go after, but as he didn't hold the secret he wouldn't be able to tell anyone even when tortured."

Lady Longbottom nodded as if she was getting confirmations to the conclusions she'd drawn from the entire scenario. "Very well, Sirius was the decoy and you were the Secret Keeper. So then enlighten us, Mister Pettigrew, how did the Dark Lord Voldemort learn of the location of the Potters home?"

"Two weeks after the Fidelius was cast I went to the Dark Lord and gave him the secret to the Potters location." The words seemed to be coming out against the rat's will, but the potion won out even against the strongest of wills. Not that Pettigrew had a strong will.

"As I expected, off to Azkaban with you. Lady Long-" The toad, also known as Dolores Umbitch er that is Umbridge spoke up trying to assert authority and end the trial at that.

Chiefess Longbottom stood up and glared the toad into a slouch. "Miss Umbridge, you will be silent from this point forward. If I hear even a deep sigh from you I will expel you from this hall. Am I understood?" Umbridge nodded jerkily but silently. "Continuing, Mister Pettigrew, why did you give the Dark Lord the Potters location?"

"Grandfather Dumbledore impressed upon me the importance of telling the Dark Lord the Potters location the moment we left the Potters home after the Fidelius was cast," Pettigrew responded almost enthusiastically. After all, Grandfather Dumbledore had always been the esteemed Lord of the Light that everyone adored. Perhaps he would get out of this mess scott free after all, if only he knew just how far a hole he was digging himself into. Even worse would be when he realized that Dumbledore hole would be much deeper into the earth than he would ever reach.

Lady Longbottom took note of the use of Grandfather Dumbledore and continued,"To clarify, you told the Dark Lord the secret of the Potter's location on Dumbledore's orders?"

"Yes, he also mentioned it was very important that the Dark Lord go after Harry Potter instead of your grandson Neville. There was also something about a prophecy he was trying to enact, but he was mumbling at that point so I didn't catch most of what he was saying at the time."

The sound of Neville's name being brought up had Augusta Longbottom freezing. She wanted desperately to ask about this prophecy and how it tied in with her Neville but knew she had to be professional. This wasn't about Neville, this was about the Potter's, twelve muggles, and four Aurors. At least right now it was them who knew whose name might pop up along the line of questioning. "How did you find the Dark Lord to tell him of the Potter's location?

"I knew where to find the Dark Lord as I was instructed to join the ranks of the Death Eaters in 1979 under Dumbledore's orders."

"Mister Pettigrew are you a Death Eater?" Lady Longbottom asked trapping the man.

"Yes, but only under Dumbledore's orders."

Lady Longbottom paused if she asked if the man had committed any crimes as a Death Eater the man could say no as he was participating as both Death Eater and Dumbledore's lackey. The only way he wouldn't wriggle out of the next question was to combine both master agendas. "Very well, under either Dumbledore's or the Dark Lord's orders or both have you committed any felonies?"

Pettigrew looked as if he was struggling again, "Yes," he cried out knowing the question had ruined any chance of freedom he might have had.

"What crimes have you committed under both the Dark Lord and Dumbledore respectively and combined?"

-0-

Cliffhanger? Any suggestions?


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